Sensex steady; SBI, HDFC advance 3%

The Sensex is now up 100 points at 9,684. Earlier in the day, the index opened flat at 9,590, and touched a low of 9,558. The index, thereafter, has rebounded into the positive zone.

DLF has soared 7% to Rs 150. Reliance Communications has surged 4.7% to Rs 174.

HDFC Bank and Mahindra & Mahindra have rallied nearly 4% each to Rs 955 and Rs 285, respectively.

Ranbaxy and Maruti have gained over 4% each at Rs 234 and Rs 613, respectively.

HDFC and SBI have moved up 2.7% each to Rs 1,533 and Rs 1,178, respectively. BHEL has advanced over 2% to Rs 1,424.

Reliance Infrastructure, Larsen & Toubro Jaiprakash Associates have added 2% each to Rs 589, Rs 688 and Rs 76, respectively.

Bharti Airtel, however, is down 1% at Rs 659.

The market breadth is fairly positive - out of 2,381 stocks traded so far, 1,461 have advanced, 817 have declined and 103 are unchanged.