Equities end in green; metals, oil & gas stocks surge

Erasing the previous session's losses, key Indian equity indices -- the BSE Sensex and the NSE Nifty50 -- on Friday surged to close on a higher note as broadly positive global cues and healthy buying in metals and oil and gas stocks lifted sentiments.

Index heavyweights like Tata Steel, Sun Pharma, NTPC, State Bank of India and Hindustan Unilever, among others, aided in the upward trajectory of the indices.

The wider Nifty50 of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) rose by 91 points, or 0.92 per cent, to provisionally close at 9,979.70 points (at 3:30 p.m.).

The 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the BSE, which opened at 31,633.34 points, closed at 31,814.22 points -- up 222.19 points, or 0.70 per cent, from its previous close.

The Sensex touched a high of 31,844.28 points and a low of 31,632.81 points during intra-day trade.

The BSE market breadth was bullish -- 1,698 advances and 966 declines.

On Thursday, the benchmark indices closed with marginal losses. The Nifty50 fell by 26.20 points, or 0.26 per cent, to close at 9,888.70 points, while the Sensex closed at 31,592.03 points -- down 79.68 points, or 0.25 per cent.

--IANS

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