Sensex opens firm at 13.439.71 points

Mumbai, Nov 14: Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) Sensitive index (Sensex) opened higher by 40 points at 13,439.71 from its last close of 13,399.00 points on fresh buying support by foreign institutional investors (FIIs), brokers said here this morning.

The Sensex was up by 54 points at 13,453 at 1020 hrs. The barometer index hit 13,486.74, which is also a lifetime high for the premier index.

The market opened upbeat as software bigwigs like Infosys and Satyam Computers surged in response to a rally in their ADRs yesterday. Firm Asian markets also aided the early surge.

Infosys gained 2 per cent to Rs 2,205.90. The stock hit Rs 2,218, which was a lifetime high for the scrip. The Infy ADR yesterday had surged 3 per cent to USD 55.17. Satyam Computers also rose 2 per cent to Rs 434. Its ADR rose 3.2 per cent yesterday to USD 22.61.

Wipro rose 1.1 per cent to Rs 548, while its ADR rose 1.89 per cent to USD 14.56. TCS rose 1.6 per cent to Rs 1,091 on a huge early volume of 85.4 lakh shares traded on BSE.

Refinery shares edged higher as oil prices declined for the second day in a row yesterday. BPCL gained 0.8 per cent to Rs 366 and HPCL added 0.9 per cent to Rs 302. US crude oil for December delivery ended down USD 1.01 at USD 58.58 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange yesterday.

Index heavyweight Reliance Industries (RIL) rose 0.1 per cent to Rs 1,288. As many as 72,878 shares changed hands in the counter on BSE.

Asian markets were firm today. Key benchmark indices in Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan were up between 0.28-1.5 per cent, brokers added.

UNI