Markets end at 15-month high

The Sensex soared above 16,000 on the back of strong global cues and hopes of an easing recession. The Nifty  too ended at a fresh 15-month high at 4,783.

The Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark index opened with a positive gap of 104 points at 15,793, mirroring gains in Asian markets. The index surged towards the end of the trading day and touched a high of 16,035 - up 346 points. The Sensex finally ended with a gain of 327 points (2%) at 16,016.

All the sectoral indices were in the green barring FMCG. The BSE realty index surged 5.5% to 4,533. The metal and bankex also added 4% and 3%, respectively.

The NSE Nifty ended at 4,783 - its highest since May, 2008. Earlier in the day the index opened at 4,682 and touched a high of 4,790.

Global markets had gone up on the news that US job losses were the lowest in a year. The Hang Seng ended at a three-week closing high of 20,629. The Nikkei added 133 points to 10,320.

The market breadth was positive. Out of 2,885 stocks traded 2,243 advanced while 589 declined.

INDEX MOVERS...

Tata Motors soared over 11% to Rs 566. Reliance Communications surged 6.5% to Rs 312.

ICICI Bank and Jaiprakash Associates gained 6% each at Rs 789 and Rs 231, respectively.

Sterlite added 5.3% to Rs 707. DLF advanced 5% to Rs 435.

Bharti Airtel, TCS, Hindalco, SBI, Tata Steel, HDFC, Tata Power and Larsen & Toubro moved up 2-3% each.

Among the Nifty stocks, Jindal Steel rallied 7% to Rs 3,507. BPCL added 6.5% to Rs 596 while Siemens moved up 4% to Rs 526.

...AND SHAKERS

FMCG major ITC slipped 1% to Rs 231. Mahindra & Mahindra dropped 1% to Rs 857.

VALUE & VOLUME TOPPERS...

The combined value chart was topped by Unitech with a turnover of Rs 1,106.95 crore, followed by Tata Motors (Rs 749.31 crore), ICICI Bank (Rs 627.19 crore), Reliance (Rs 631.62 crore) and IFCI (Rs 653.59 crore).

IFCI led the combined volume chart with trades of over 110 million shares, followed by Unitech (98.88 million), Ispat Industries (91.19 million), NHPC (79.56 million) and Suzlon (73.62 million).