Mumbai: Market benchmark Sensex snapped a three-session losing spree as it jumped by 115 points to 24,338.43 and in the process recovered from a two-week low on value-buying in recently beaten-down stocks. In addition, the rupee supported the recovery as it appreciated by 37 paise to 67.70 intra-day against the dollar.
Higher Asian shares and a better opening in European markets, tracking overnight gains in the US on rebound in oil prices, triggered fresh buying here, but investor concerns remained over muted quarterly results, equity brokers said.
The 30-share Sensex swung widely on alternate bouts of buying and selling, before settling at 24,338.43, higher by 115.11 or 0.48 per cent. Intra-day, it moved between 24,514.01 and 24,224.74. The gauge had lost 647.37 points in the previous three days on sustained foreign fund outflows amid global rout on concerns over slowing growth after oil prices resumed slide. The broad-based NSE Nifty reclaimed the crucial 7,400-mark by recovering 42.20 points or 0.57 per cent to 7,404 after touching a high of 7,457.05 and a low of 7,365.95.
Brokers said investors resumed buying in recently battered blue-chips that turned attractive at existing levels amid a firming trend in global markets after oil rebounded and speculation that the US Federal Reserve might opt to not raise interest rates this year.
ONGC surged the most rising 3.28 per cent, followed by Asian Paint, L&T, Adani Ports and Tata Motors. Of the 30 Sensex components, 18 ended in the positive zone while 12 led by Lupin, NTPC, Cipla, SBI, Bajaj Auto GAIL, Maruti Suzuki, M&M and RIL ended in red with losses.
Sectorally, metal index gained the most by rising 2.48 per cent, followed by capital goods (1.93 per cent), IT (0.92 per cent), consumer durables (0.86 per cent), infrastructure (0.84 per cent), power (0.84 per cent), auto (0.52 per cent) and FMCG (0.23 per cent). However, in broader markets, small-cap and mid-cap indices ended in red with losses up to 0.75 per cent as investors engaged in trimming their bets.
Indices in other Asian markets, including those in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore ended higher, while Japan's Nikkei declined 0.85 per cent. European markets was also higher in their early trade.
