MUMBAI (Reuters) - The Nifty rose 0.3 percent to a third consecutive record high as lenders such as ICICI Bank extended a powerful rally on the back of signs of an improving domestic economy and hopes that easing inflation will keep interest rates steady.
Foreign investors have been the main buyers of shares, with net purchases reaching 12.54 billion rupees on Monday, marking a 17th consecutive buying session for a net total of about $1.6 billion, according to exchange data.
The Nifty rose as much as 0.39 percent to a record high of 6,562.85 points, and was up 0.19 percent at 9:35 a.m.
The Sensex was up 0.16 percent, not far from its record high of 22,023.98 points hit on Monday.
Lenders were the leading gainers, with the NSE bank sub-index up 0.93 percent. ICICI Bank
(Reporting by Indulal PM)
