Sensex up 109 points at 1-wk high; Infosys, L&T and RIL lead gain

Buying in realty, capital goods, metal and IT stocks following firm global cues lifted the benchmark S&P BSE Sensex today by over 109 points to end at one-week high of 19,252.61, extending gains for second straight day.

Smart rise in shares of L&T, Infosys, Tata Motors, ICICI Bank, RIL, SBI, TCS, Sterlite, Tata Steel, ONGC, BHEL and Hindalco mainly supported the Sensex surge.

However, fall in ITC, HUL, M&M and HDFC Bank counters limited the rise to some extent.

The Bombay Stock Exchange 30-share barometer resumed higher and moved in positive terrain throughout the day before ending at 19,252.61, a gain of 109.44 points or 0.57%.

Yesterday, it had registered its biggest gain in the current calender year by rising 265.21 points.

The 50-issue CNX Nifty of the NSE also improved further by 34.35 points or 0.59% to settle above 5,800-mark at one-week high of 5,818.60 today.

Brokers said the domestic market got a boost after Asian stocks closed with marked gains while European stocks too were trading higher in early trade due to smart rise on Wall Street last night on signs of an improving US economy.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended up by 0.89% to all-time closing high of 14,253.77, breaking the previous peak of 14,164.53 set on October 9, 2007.

In the domestic market, IT stocks attracted investors on account of weak rupee, interest-rate sensitive scrips rose higher as hopes of a rate cut in RBI's policy meet later this month gained further ground, dealers said.

Second-line stocks, which bore the brunt in recent days, remained in the limelight for the second day in a row on good buying by retail investors at low levels. BSE-Smallcap and BSE-Midcap indices outperformed the Sensex, closing up by 1.50% and 1.14% respectively.