Sensex rises for 3rd day to close at over one-week high

Rising for the third session, the benchmark Sensex today edged 11.44 points higher to end at over one-week closing peak of 25,561.16 supported by gains in shares from metal, power and consumer durable sectors.
After two days of sharp rally, trading was range-bound and profit-taking was seen in realty, oil & gas and auto scrips, amid weakness in Asian as well as European markets.
However, second-line stocks in the domestic market continued their upward sprint on sustained buying by retail investors. The BSE Mid-cap and Small-cap indices logged over 1.3 per cent rise each, outpacing Sensex's marginal 0.04 per cent upmove.

The BSE 30-share gauge resumed stable and continued to veer in and out of positive terrain in a limited breadth of almost 120 points. It finally settled at 25,561.16, a small rise of 11.44 points or 0.04 per cent. This is its strongest closing level since 25,582.11 on July 8.
"Profit booking was seen in the market as investors preferred to stay cautious at higher levels," said Jignesh Chaudhary, Head of Research, Veracity Broking Services.
In three days now, the Sensex has jumped 554.18 points or 2.22 per cent. In the previous two sessions, markets were upbeat after positive economic data and the RBI's easing of financing norms for infrastructure development boosted buying.

Meanwhile, the broader 50-issue CNX Nifty of the NSE also gained 16.05 points, or 0.21 per cent, to end at 7,640.45.

Shares of Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Hindalco, L&T, SBI, NTPC, Sesa Sterlite, Tata Power, Infosys and Coal India notched smart gains. Laggards were led by M&M, ICICI Bank, RIL, TCS, HDFC Bank and Bajaj Auto.
Coal India gained more than 2.86 per cent after Power & Coal Minister Piyush Goyal said the government has taken steps to improve coal production.
Bajaj Auto lost 2.27 percent on flat growth in Q1 profit.
Meanwhile, Foreign Portfolio Investors bought shares worth net Rs 621.68 crore yesterday as per provisional data.

Indices in Singapore and South Korea moved up by 0.07-0.37 per cent while indices in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan eased in 0.01-0.81 per cent range. Europe was also trading lower as indices in France, Germany and UK moved down by 0.29-0.51 per cent.