Sensex, Nifty at new highs; capital goods sector gains (Roundup)

A benchmark index of Indian equities markets touched a record high of 22,912.52 points Wednesday for the third straight day, surpassing the 22,853.03 points it touched Tuesday.

Good buying was observed in capital goods and banking sectors, while selling pressure was seen in consumer durables and oil and gas sectors.

Markets were bullish in the day's trade ahead of the result season and the ongoing polling exercise in which business-friendly Bharatiya Janata Party is apparently gaining. However, the markets retreated on the back of profit bookings as April derivative contracts expired.

The 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the S&P Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 22,783.65 points, closed the day's trade at 22,876.54 points, up 118.17 points or 0.52 percent from the previous day's close at 22,758.37 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 22,912.52 points and a low of 22,780.13 points in trade.

The S&P BSE capital goods index gained 187.84 points, bankex went up by 165.87 points, healthcare index increased by 46.41 points, fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) index rose 28.50 points and metal index was up 22.88 points.

However, the consumer durables index dropped by 58.43 points, oil and gas index decreased by 32.26 points, realty index was down 18.92 points, power index slipped 9.41 points and information technology (IT) index was marginally down by 1.88 points.

The wider 50-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) also touched new high of 6,861.60 points. It ended the day's trade with 25.45 points or 0.37 percent gains at 6,840.80 points.

The major Sensex gainers were: Larsen and Toubro (L&T), up 2.48 percent at Rs.1,377.30; Gail India, up 1.48 percent at Rs.384.20; BHEL, up 1.42 percent at Rs.189.30; Tata Steel, up 1.32 percent at Rs.426.60; and Mahindra and Mahindra, up 1.22 percent at Rs.1,036.75.

Major Sensex losers included: NTPC, down 1.49 percent at Rs.122.15; Wipro, down 1.19 percent at Rs.525; Tata Motors, down 0.84 percent at Rs.425.45; Hero MotoCorp, down 0.72 percent at Rs.2,249.95; and Sesa Sterlite, down 0.57 percent at Rs.192.60.\\

Among Asian markets, Japan's Nikkei closed lower at 1.09 percent but China's Shanghai Composite Index was lower by 0.26 percent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng was, meanwhile, down by 0.97 percent.

In Europe, London's FTSE 100 was trading 0.14 percent down, Germany's DAX Index was lower by 0.33 percent and the French CAC 40 Index had lost by 0.38 percent when markets closed here.