Sensex gains 217.15 pts in opening trade

Mumbai, June 2: Sensitive index of Bombay Stock Exchange gained 217.15 points at 16,632.72 following the positive global market sentiments in the opening trade. The Sensex opened with a positive gap of 175.89 points at 16,591.46 from its previous close of 16,415.57 and further pared the gains on sustained buying interest in select blue chips during early trading session. Positive cues in Asian markets and the marginal fall in crude oil prices strengthened the market sentiments, brokers said.

Meanwhile, the broader-based Nifty index of National Stock Exchange was up by 31.45 points at Rs 4,901.55. IT stocks were in good demands. Infosys Technologies gained 2.5 per cent at Rs 2,005.15, Satyam Computer Services, Tata Consultancy Services and Wipro were trading positively with 1-1.5 per cent.

Jaiprakash Associates surged 2.2 per cent to Rs 217.80. BHEL, DLF, HDFC, ITC, Larsen&Toubro, Reliance Industries, State Bank of India, Tata Motors and Tata Steel were up by 1-2 per cent.

Two-wheeler major Hero Honda Motors rose 2.12 per cent to Rs 762.50. It reported a 9.54 per cent rise in its motorcycle sales for the month May 2008 at 3,12,317 units as compared with 2,85,109 units in the corresponding month year ago.

Private sector lender Bank of Rajasthan declined 4.61 per cent to Rs 106. Its board has recommended bonus share issue in the ratio of one equity shares for every five equity shares held.

Sterlite Industries (India) rose 1.64 per cent to Rs 950.25. As per reports, Sterlite Industries (India) would acquire US-based Asarco, a Tucson-based copper mining, smelting and refining company, for USD 2.6 billion in cash.

As per provisional data, foreign funds purchased shares worth a net Rs 106.37 crore on Friday last week. Domestic funds bought shares worth a net Rs 729.93 crore on that day.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) were net buyers of Rs 333.22 crore in the futures and options segment on Friday. They were net buyers of index futures to the tune of Rs 31.71 crore and bought index options worth Rs 577.10 crore. They were net sellers of stock futures to the tune of Rs 364.21 crore and bought stock options worth Rs 88.62 crore.

UNI