Sensex closes 153 points up; interest sensitive stocks rise

Mumbai, April 22 (IANS) A benchmark index of the Indian equities markets closed 153 points up Monday on the back of good buying support in interest-sensitive stocks like banking, capital goods and consumer durables, on hopes of a rate cut by the central bank next month.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened in the negative at 18,989.78 points, closed at 19,169.83 points, up 0.81 percent or 153.37 points from its previous day close at 19,016.46 points.

The wider 50-scrip S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) closed the day's trade 0.89 percent or 51.30 points up at 5,834.40 points.

There was good buying in banking, capital goods and consumer durables stocks.

The BSE bank index was up 338.18 points. The capital goods index closed 314.68 points higher, followed by capital goods index, up 302.68 points, metal index, up 172.16 points, and public sector undertaking (PSU) index, 86.19 points higher.

However, information technology (IT) index was down 140.11 points and the technology, media and entertainment index was ended the day's trade lower by 43.88 points.

Out of 30 sensitive stocks, 20 closed the day's trade in positive territory. These included Coal India, which jumped 4.33 percent at Rs.312.20; Larsen and Toubro (L&T), up 4.21 percent at Rs.1,534.85; HDFC Bank, up 3.85 percent at Rs.699.25; BHEL, up 3.04 percent at Rs.191.35; and Tata Steel, up 2.27 percent at Rs.306.75.

The major Sensex losers were: Wipro, down 7.95 percent at Rs.339.35; Infosys, down 2.22 percent at Rs.2,244.45; ONGC, down 1.84 percent at Rs.328.40; Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), down 1.75 percent at Rs.1,425.25; and Bajaj Auto, down 1.67 percent at Rs.1,761.95.

Among other Asian markets, Japan's Nikkei closed 1.89 percent higher and Hong Kong's Hang Seng went up by 0.14 percent. China's Shanghai Composite Index closed lower by 0.11 percent.

At closing bell here, Britain's FTSE 100 was trading 0.35 percent up and so was German DAX, up 0.48 percent. The French CAC 40 was also ruling 0.17 percent up.