Sensex jumps 250 points higher, Nifty rises above 13,660

New Delhi: Markets opened in the positive zone on Thursday tracking gains in index majors amid positive global cues.

The BSE Sensex rose 249.23 points or 0.54 percent to 46,693.41 in early trade while the NSE Nifty jumped 60.20 points or 0.44 percent to 13,661.30.

Major gainers in the Sensex pack were ONGC, Bharti Airtel, M&M, IT, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, NTPC, Bajaj Auto, Ultrachem, Powergrid, Maruti and Titan, rising upto 3.30 percent. On the other hand, major losers were Infosys and TCS falling upto 1.07 percent.

Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) were net buyers in the capital market as they purchased shares worth Rs 536.13 crore on a net basis on Wednesday, according to provisional exchange data.

In the previous session, Sensex rallied 437.49 points or 0.95 per cent to close at 46,444.18, and Nifty surged 134.80 points or 1 per cent to 13,601.10.

MSCI`s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.14%. Australian stocks advanced by 0.57%, while Tokyo shares rose 0.43%. Chinese stocks rose 0.02%, but Alibaba Group Holding Ltd slumped 6.28%, its biggest daily drop in six weeks, after China`s market regulator said it will investigate the tech giant for suspected monopolistic behaviour. U.S. stock futures edged up by 0.11%, a Reuters report said.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 18 cents to $48.30 a barrel by 0124 GMT, while Brent crude futures climbed 20 cents to $51.40, buoyed by a drawdown in U.S. stockpiles and a potential Brexit trade deal, Reuters added.