Equity indices close higher, RIL top gainer

Healthy buying in oil and gas, banking and auto stocks, coupled with broadly positive global cues, lifted the key Indian equity indices on Tuesday.

Index heavyweights like Reliance Industries (RIL), Yes Bank, Adani Ports, Mahindra and Mahindra, and Larsen and Toubro were the top gainers on the BSE.

However, heavy selling pressure in metals, IT and consumer durables stocks trimmed some gains of the benchmark indices, market observers said.

The wider Nifty50 of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) rose by 34.05 points or 0.32 per cent to provisionally close (at 3.30 p.m.) at 10,618.75 points.

The barometer 30-scrip Sensitive index (Sensex) of the BSE, which opened at 34,491.38 points, closed at 34,616.64 points -- up 165.87 points or 0.48 per cent from its previous session's close.

The Sensex touched a high of 34,706.71 points and a low of 34,465.49 points during the intra-day trade.

In contrast, the BSE market breadth remained bearish with 1,479 declines and 1,191 advances.

On Monday, the equity indices closed a volatile trade session on a flat-to-positive note as healthy quarterly results drove investors' sentiments.

The Nifty50 closed higher by 20.65 points or 0.20 per cent at 10,584.70 points, while the Sensex closed at 34,450.77 points -- up 35.19 points or 0.10 per cent.

--IANS

ppg/vm