Sensex ends 126 points up; automobile stocks gain

In a volatile session, a benchmark index of Indian equities markets closed Wednesday's trade 126 points or 0.48 percent up.

Healthy buying was observed in automobile, information technology (IT), capital goods, technology, entertainment and media (TECK) and healthcare sectors, while selling pressure was seen in consumer durables and banking stocks.

The 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the S&P Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 26,627.21 points, closed trade at 26,619.03 points (provisional), up 126.52 points or 0.48 percent from the previous day's close at 26,492.51 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 26,682.64 points and a low of 26,511.71 points in the intra-trade.

The S&P BSE automobile index surged by 195.61 points, IT index was up 160.05 points, capital goods index gained 122.61 points, TECK index rose by 75.34 points, and healthcare index moved up by 48.10 points.

However, consumer durables index dropped by 90.01 points and bank index slipped by 19.72 points.

The wider 50-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) closed trade at 42.60 points or 0.54 percent up at 7,975.50 points.

The major Sensex losers were: Cipla, down 1.60 percent at Rs.609.75; Coal India, down 1.26 percent at Rs.339.85; Sun Pharma, down 0.70 percent at Rs.792.30; HDFC Bank, down 0.44 points at Rs.846.40; and Hindustan Unilever, down 0.40 percent at Rs.754.90.

The major Sensex gainers were: Dr Reddy's Lab, up 2.85 percent at Rs.3,095; Infosys, up 2.29 percent at Rs.3,740.40; Tata Power, up 2.21 percent at Rs.85.55, BHEL, up 2.18 percent at Rs.220.70; and Tata Steel, up 1.78 percent at Rs.498.75.