Equity indices settle at record levels; Sensex ends near 37,500 mark

Domestic equity indices continued to set new benchmarks on Monday and settled at their record closing levels, supported by healthy quarterly earnings.

Earlier in the day, the BSE Sensex crossed the 37,500 mark for the first time and touched an all-time intra-day high of 37,533.50 points. The NSE Nifty50 also hit a fresh high of 11,328.10 points.

Firm buying activity in the banking, auto and oil and gas stocks helped the indices to rise, analysts said.

At 3.30 p.m., the wider Nifty50 on the National Stock Exchange provisionally closed at 11,319.55 points, higher by 41.20 points or 0.37 per cent from its previous close of 11,278.35 points.

The 30-scrip BSE Sensex, which had opened at 37,491.39 points, closed at 37,494.40 points (3.30 p.m.), higher by 157.55 points or 0.42 per cent from its previous close of 37,336.85 points. It touched an intra-day low of 37,292.45 points.

The BSE market breadth was bullish with 1,616 advances and 1,037 declines.

The top gainers on the Sensex were Bharti Airtel, ICICI Bank, State Bank of India, Axis Bank and Mahindra and Mahindra while Infosys, HDFC Bank, Tata Motors (DVR), Larsen and Toubro and Adani Ports were among the major losers.

--IANS

rrb/mr