Sensex and Nifty finished in the green amid a see-saw trading session.
New Delhi:
The Indian equity benchmark indices settled higher on Monday in a see-saw trade after declining for three consecutive sessions. The domestic indices fluctuated between gains and losses during today’s session before finishing in the green.
Asian markets traded under pressure after China’s financial hub of Shanghai announced a Covid-19 lockdown, spurring worries about a hit to global activity. Crude oil prices slid today as a coronavirus lockdown fueled worries about weak demand. The spread of restrictions in the world’s biggest oil importer saw Brent skid $4.35 to $116.33, while U.S. crude fell $4.5 or 4 per cent to $109.38.
Back home, the 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 231 points or 0.40 per cent to close at 57,593, while the broader NSE Nifty moved 69 points or 0.40 per cent higher to settle at 17,222.
However, mid- and small-cap shares finished on a weak note as Nifty Midcap 100 index edged 0.18 per cent lower and small-cap shed 0.73 per cent.
11 out of the 15 sector gauges — compiled by the National Stock Exchange — ended in the green. Nifty PSU Bank and Nifty Bank outperformed the index by rising as much as 1.22 per cent and 0.85 per cent, respectively.
On the stock-specific front, Bharti Airtel was the top Nifty gainer as the stock surged 3.90 per cent to Rs 737.
Coal India, Axis Bank, Eicher Motors and ICICI Bank were also among the gainers.
The overall market breadth stood negative as 1,178 shares advanced while 2,331 declined on BSE.
On the 30-share BSE index, Airtel, Axis Bank, ICICI Bank, ITC, SBI and IndusInd Bank were among the top gainers.
Also, shares of PVR jumped as much as 3.53 per cent and INOX Leisure soared 11.75 per cent after the companies said they would merge.
In contrast, Nestle India, HDFC, HCL Tech, Dr Reddy’s, Asian Paints, Wipro and L&T settled in the red.
