Sensex, Nifty up in special trading session

After two losing sessions, benchmark stock indices closed higher during a special 90-minute trading session held today.

The Bombay Stock Exchange’s (BSE’s) bellwether index, Sensex, inched closer to the psychological milestone of 16,000 by gaining 124.72 points, or 0.79 per cent, to close at 15915.65.

The Nifty closed up 38.60 points, or 0.82 per cent, at 4757.25. The biggest Nifty gainers were Suzlon Energy (3.85 per cent), Unitech (3.41 per cent), Reliance Power (3.32 per cent), Jaiprakash Associates (3.17 per cent) and Hindalco Industries (2.93 per cent). ITC and Hero Honda were the only two losers in the 50-share index.

Market breadth on BSE remained positive with 1,931 advances and 607 declines. Among the 30 shares in the Sensex, only Bharti Airtel and Hero Honda lost ground. Hindalco and Tata Steel, which had taken a beating in the earlier two sessions, gained. Among sectoral indices, the BSE Realty index advanced 2.14 per cent, BSE Metal index jumped 1.60 per cent and BSE Oil & gas index closed 1.21 per cent higher. The markets were open as the National Stock Exchange tested its revamped architecture today.