Gains in banking, automobile and energy stocks pushed the markets higher Domestic stock markets rose to record levels on Wednesday tracking strength in global peers on optimism about an end to the long US-China trade conflict.
Gains across most sectors - led by banking, automobile and energy stocks - pushed the markets higher.
The S-P BSE Sensex index rose 254.46 points to touch 41,075.76 at the strongest level during the session, and the broader NSE Nifty benchmark climbed to as high as 12,114.25, up 76.55 points from its previous close.
Analysts awaited macroeconomic data due at the end of the week for near-term cues.
Here are 10 things to know about the markets today:The Sensex ended 199.31 points (0.49 per cent) higher at 41,020.61 and the Nifty settled with a gain of 63.00 points (0.52 per cent) at 12,100.70 - their highest closing levels ever.The benchmark indices came within a stone's throw of their all-time highs recorded in the previous session.Thirty seven stocks on the Nifty 50 index finished the session higher.
Top percentage gainers on the index were Yes Bank, UltraTech Cement, SBI, Maruti Suzuki and Hindalco, ending between 2.19 per cent and 8.31 per cent higher.The Nifty Auto index - comprising shares in manufacturers of automobiles and auto ancillaries - settled with a gain of 1.27 per cent after soaring as much as 1.82 per cent during the session.
Prominent gainers included Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors and TVS Motor, which rose2.44 per cent, 1.53 per cent and 4.86 per cent respectively.HDFC, Reliance Industries and SBI contributed the most to the upmove in Sensex, together accounting for a 135-point rise in the index.On the other hand, Bharti Infratel, Cipla, Larsen - Toubro, ITC and ICICI Bank, closing between 0.77 per cent and 3.20 per cent lower, were the top Nifty laggards.The government is due to release official data on gross domestic product (GDP) for the quarter ended September 30 on Friday evening.
For the first quarter of current financial year, the country's GDP growth came in at a more than six-year low of 5 per cent.Equities in other Asian markets rose as upbeat comments by US President Donald Trump stoked hopes that Washington and Beijing would hammer out an interim trade deal soon.Mr Trump said the US and China were close to an agreement on the first phase of a deal, while stressing Washington's support for protesters in Hong Kong, a point of contention between the world's two largest economies.His comments sent MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan up 0.19 per cent, fanning hopes of an easing of tariff hostilities.In the last few months, global markets have swung back and forth, rallying on headlines suggesting the barest progress, even as an agreement has yet to be nailed down.Get Breaking news, live coverage, and Latest News from India and around the world on TheIndianSubcontinent.com.
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