Sensex and nifty hit record all-time high

Mumbai, Jan 4: The benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty past over all-time high on strong buying interest on positive global cues in the early trade.

The sensitive index at Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) surged 251 points to hit a record high at 20,596.45 from its previous close of 20,345.20 amid volatile trading session in the morning. Sensex resumed the day with a marginal gain at 20,367.97. Similarly, Nifty index at National Stock Exchange (NSE) hit the record high at 6,270.45, gained 84 points from its previous close of 6,178. The market breadth was strong on BSE with 1995 shares advancing as compared to 475 that declined, while 39 remained unchanged. BSE Mid-cap and Small-cap were trading with a positive gap of more than 1.5 per cent each. All the sectoral indices were green in the early morning trade.

Frontliner stocks, Hindustan Unilever advanced 2.62 per cent on 2.05 lakh shares. It was the top gainer from Sensex pack. DLF was up 1.27 per cent to Oil&Natural Gas Corporation up 1.82 per cent and Satyam Computers was up by one per cent, were the other gainers from the Sensex pack.

Reliance Industries rose 0.76 per cent to Rs 2924.85. However, National Thermal Power Corporation declined 0.98 per cent to Rs 274.

It was the top loser from Sensex pack. Bharti Airtel slipped 0.55 per cent. Most of the Asian markets were in green today, while markets in the United States ended flat yesterday.

UNI