Sensex jumps over 200 points in opening session

Mumbai: Equity benchmark Sensex jumped over 200 points in early trade on Friday led by gains in index-heavyweights Reliance Industries, HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank amid positive cues from global markets and fresh foreign fund inflows.

The 30-share index was trading 207.64 points, or 0.61 per cent, higher at 34,415.69.

Similarly, NSE Nifty advanced 59.45 points, or 0.59 per cent, to 10,151.10.

Bajaj Finance was the top gainer in the pack, rising around 3 per cent, followed by ONGC, Axis Bank, Tata Steel, IndusInd Bank and SBI.

Reliance Industries surged nearly 2 per cent to hit its 52-week high of Rs 1,684 after Mukesh Ambani said his flagship firm is now net-debt free after a record Rs 1.69 lakh crore fund raising in under two months.

On the other hand, Infosys, HCL Tech, Hero MotoCrop and M&M were among the



laggards.

In the previous session, the BSE barometer settled at 34,208.05, up 700.13 points, or 2.09 per cent, while the broader Nifty jumped 210.50 points, or 2.13 per cent, to 10,091.65.

On a net basis, foreign institutional investors bought equities worth Rs 366.57 crore in the capital market on Thursday, provisional exchange data showed.

According to analysts, besides stock-specific actions, positive cues from global markets and fresh foreign fund inflows buoyed market sentiment.

Bourses in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Tokyo were trading with gains in early deals, while those in Seoul were in the red.

Stock exchanges on Wall Street ended on a positive note in overnight trade.

International oil benchmark Brent crude futures rose 0.84 per cent to USD 41.86 per barrel.