Sensex up by 71 points, IT stocks in demand

MUMBAI: The benchmark Sensex on Thursday ended higher by nearly 71 points on the Bombay Stock Exchange with IT and metal counters witnessing hectic buying.
   
The Sensex closed higher by 70.61 points at 19,162.57 after index-related IT major Infosys Technologies gained substantial ground. The index touched the day's high of 19,291.14 points and a low of 19,097.70 points.
   
Similarly, the National Stock Exchange index Nifty rose by 15.35 points to 5,766.50. It touched the day's high of 5,799.50 and a low of 5,742.75 points.
   
Major supporter to the market, IT sector index shot up by 139.63 points to 4,320.63, followed by metal index by 70.90 points at 18,273.00. Teck index rose by 55.78 points at 3,766.96 and auto index by 15.62 points at 5541.26.
   
However, capital goods index fell by 172.48 points to 18,725.69, PSU index by 50.11 points to 9,512.90, consumer durables index by 38.01 points to 6,084.31, oil and gas index by 34.76 points to 12,246.04 and bank index by 25.37 points to 10,738.59.