Sensex hits 15,000 mark in opening session

Mumbai, Aug 13: The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) Sensex today opened on a buoyant note with a gain of around 97 points at 14,965.65 from it's previous close of 14,868.25 and soon went ahead to hit the 15,000 mark in opening trade on positive cues from firm Asian markets.

Among the broader markets, the National Stock Exchange (NSE) Nifty opened weaker by around 9 points at 4,324.65 from it's previous close of 4,333.35 but soon rebounded into positive terrain to touch 4,374.80.

The market breadth is strong on the BSE. 1,075 shares have advanced as compared to just 200 that declined, while 28 remained unchanged till now. Among the 30-member Sensex pack, 28 rose while 2 declined, official data showed.

The early leaders are Ambuja Cements, ACC, Grasim, Bharat Heavy Electricals (Bhel) and Reliance Industries, while the laggards include Infosys and TCS.

Asian indices advanced today. Japan's Nikkei, Taiwan's Taiwan Weighted, Seoul Composite and Shanghai Composite are all in the green. However, Hang Seng and Straits Times have slipped in the red.

US stocks settled mixed during the last trading session, after the US Federal Reserve injected billions of dollars into the banking system to calm markets torn by worries about evaporating credit. The Dow Jones industrials ended with just a 31-point deficit at 13, 239.54. Broader stock indicators finished mixed. The Standard&Poor's 500 index edged up 0.55 points, or 0.04 per cent, to 1,453.64, and the Nasdaq Composite index fell 11.60, or 0.45 per cent, to 2,544.89.

Oil prices edged up above USD 71 a barrel on today as central bankers injected cash into jittery financial markets and fundamental support came from expectations of robust demand. US crude for September delivery rose 22 cents to USD 71.69 a barrel.

UNI