Mumbai: The Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark
Sensex today jumped by 236 points, or 1.34 per cent, in opening trade on fresh buying in heavyweight stocks by foreign funds driven by rally on the other Asian bourses.
The 30-share index rose by 236.28 points to 17,776.57 points. The BSE barometer had lost over 160 points in the past two sessions.
The wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty rose by 42.45 points, or 0.80 per cent, to 5,287.20 points.
Metal, PSUs, technology and power stocks were in the limelight, giving a push to the Sensex.
Brokers said firming trend on the Asian markets and hopes of better earnings by corporates for the December quarter, mainly triggered wide-spread buying by foreign funds as well as retail investors.
Metals stocks were in good demand on hopes of rise in prices following stronger-than-expected Chinese imports data.
Tata Steel gained 0.58 per cent to Rs 654, Sterlite Industries up by 1.07 per cent to Rs 917 and Hinadalco was higher by 1.53 per cent to Rs 175.90.
Among other gainers, State Bank of India rose by 0.37 percent to Rs 2,295.50, ICICI Bank by 0.35 per cent to Rs 876.90, Infosys by 0.99 per cent to Rs 2,488.95, Tata Power by 2.01 per cent to Rs 1,505.10 and BHEL by 0.28 per cent to Rs 2,430.
Japan's Nikkei was up 1.09 per cent, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng surged by 1.35 per cent in the morning trade.
PTI
First Published: Monday, January 11, 2010, 09:44