Equity markets on a new high led by financials, HDFC top gainer
Dec 17, 2020
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], December 17 : Equity benchmark indices traded higher on Thursday to touch record highs amid mixed global cues ahead of the weekly options expiry.
The BSE S&P Sensex closed 224 points or 0.48 per cent higher at 46,890 while the Nifty 50 ticked up by 58 points or 0.42 per cent at 13,741.
Sectoral indices at the National Stock Exchange were mixed with Nifty financial service rising by 1.2 per cent, realty by 0.6 per cent, private bank by 0.5 per cent and pharma by 0.4 per cent. But Nifty PSU bank dropped by 1.4 per cent, metal by 1.3 per cent and FMCG by 0.5 per cent.
Among stocks, HDFC gained by 2.7 per cent to close the day at Rs 2,490.10 per share. HDFC Bank was up by 2 per cent and HDFC Life by 0.8 per cent.
IndusInd Bank surged ahead with 1.7 per cent while Bajaj Finance rose by 2.4 per cent. Tata Consultancy Services, Power Grid Corporation and Divis Laboratories too traded with a positive bias.
However, those which lost were metal majors like Hindalco, Tata Steel and JSW Steel. Other which suffered losses were Coal India, Maruti Suzuki, Bajaj Auto, ONGC and Hindustan Lever.
Meanwhile, Asian stocks perched near-record heights as monetary support and the hope of fiscal stimulus in the United States put traders in a cheerful mood.
Japan's Nikkei rose by 0.18 per cent while Hong Kong's Hang Seng lifted up by 0.82 per cent. South Korea's Kospi slipped marginally by 0.05 per cent.
