Sensex jumps over 170 points in early trade; Nifty tops 12,800

New Delhi: Markets opened on a positive note on Friday tracking gains in index-heavyweights amid largely positive cues from global markets.

The 30-share BSE index was trading 170.40 points or 0.39 percent higher at 43,770.36 in early trade. Similarly, the broader NSE Nifty rose 47.30 points or 0.37 percent to 12,819.

Major gainers in the Sensex pack were Titan, Bajaj Finserve, Nestle, HDFC, Tech Mahindra, NTPC, Bajaj Finance, Tata Steel, HCL Tech, Kotak Bank, HDFC Bank and Asian Paint, rising upto 3.63 percent. On the other hand, major losers were RIL, IndusInd Bank, ONG, SBI, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, ITC, Ultrachem, and M&M, falling upto 2.07 percent.

In the previous session, BSE Sensex ended 580.09 points or 1.31 per cent lower at 43,599.96, while Nifty closed 166.55 points or 1.29 per cent down at 12,771.70.

Foreign institutional investors remained net buyers in the capital market as they purchased shares worth Rs 1,180.61 crore on Thursday, according to provisional exchange data.

Elsewhere in Asia, bourses in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Seoul were trading in with gains in mid-session deals, while Tokyo was in the red.

Meanwhile, Brent crude futures, the global oil benchmark, were trading 0.14 per cent higher at USD 44.24 per barrel.