Sensex opens high at 18,473.43 pts

Mumbai, Oct 10: The BSE Sensex today resumed firm at 18,473.43 points with a massive gain of around 193 from it last close of 18,280.24 points on sustained heavy speculative demand from FIIs and domestic financial institutional investors.

After Tuesday's solid rally, the market extended gains in early trade today with the Sensex moving past 18,500 mark. Easing of political worries and firm Asian markets boosted the bourses.

Reliance Industries edged higher. Realty stocks surged. Market breadth was strong. Asian markets extended gains, brokers said.

Later, the current BSE 30-share Sensex is up sharply by 342.41 points, or 1.82 per cent (pc), to 18,622.65 points. It opened with an upward gap of 193.19 points at 18,473.43 and soon rose to hit all-time high of 18,677.05.

The broader based S&P CNX Nifty of NSE was up 105.30 points, or 1.77 pc, to 5,422.15. It had hit a all-time high of 5,451.05 in early trade.

The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the centre and its communist allies stepped back from the brink on yesterday, agreeing to meet again this month to resolve a row over a nuclear deal with the United States. The next meeting of the UPA-Left committee which is looking into Left Front's concerns over nuclear deal will be held on October 22 2007. The committee held its fourth meeting in New Delhi yesterday.

India's largest private company in terms of market capitalisation and oil refiner Reliance Industries rose by 1.94 per cent to Rs 2,651. It hit all-time high today of Rs 2,675.

Bharti Airtel surged 9.1 pc to Rs 1,135. It hit an all-time high of Rs 1,135 today. Reliance Communications hiked by 2.5 pc to Rs 723.50. It hit a all-time high of Rs 736 today. ACC rose by 2.42 pc to Rs 1,205.15.

Bharat Heavy Electricals increased by 2.25 pc to Rs 2,287.10. It hit an all-time high today of Rs 2290. Reliance Energy was up by 2.04 pc to Rs 1,565. Itt hit an all-time high of Rs 1,610.

ITC was down by 0.9 per cent to Rs 183.70, followed by Hindustan Unilever by 0.95 pc to Rs 222.90 and Maruti Suzuki India by 021 pc to Rs 1,103) were top losers from Sensex pack.

Realty stocks blossomed. DLF was up by 4.57 pc to Rs 905.15, Indiabulls Real Estate rose by 0.47 pc to Rs 647.95 and Unitech also hiked by 2.89 pc to Rs 336.05.

Asian markets, which opened before the Indian markets, were trading in green today. Hong Kong's Hang Seng was up by 1.34 pc to 28,605.98, Singapore's Straits Times rose by 0.14 pc to 3,871.21 , Japan's Nikkei was up 0.21 pc at 17,196.16 and Korea's Seoul Composite hiked by 1.05 pc to 2,034.85, brokers added.

UNI