Sensex regains 20k level, Reliance Industries, ICICI bank shares rise

The broad-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty added 5.85 points to 6,066.75 led by stocks of realty, consumer durables and refinery stocks.

Private banking stocks saw good demand. Axis bank logged its fresh 52-week high and closed 1.70 per cent higher. Yes Bank and Indusind Bank also closed higher. However, state-run banks like Union Bank, PNB, BoI, BoB, Canara Bank and SBI

ended weak.

Asian stocks ended higher ahead of a policy decision from the US Federal Reserve, while selected Japanese shares also went up. Key benchmark indices in China, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore rose by 0.40-2.28 per cent.

However, European stocks were quoting nearly flat as cautious investors stayed away ahead of policy announcement from the US Federal and US growth data.

Moving back the local market, Cipla (2.69 pc), HUL (1.97 pc), RIL (1.87 pc), Tata Steel (1.75 pc), Wipro (1.72 pc), ONGC (1.61 pc), Sterlite Ind (1.41 pc) and ICICI Bank (1.11 pc) were major gainers in Sensex.

However, Gail India dropped by 3.35 per cent, followed by Tata Power (2.73 pc), L&T (1.92 pc), Jindal Steel (1.77 pc), Tata Motors (1.53 pc), Bharti Airtel (1.22 pc) and SBI (0.89 pc).

Among the sectoral indices, the BSE-Realty rose by 1.39 per cent, followed by BSE-CD (1.24 pc) and BSE-Oil&Gas (1.06 pc) while BSE-CG dropped by 1.24 per cent, BSE-power by 0.68 per cent and BSE-Auto by 0.49 per cent.

The market breadth continued to show negative trend as 1,219 stocks closed with losses while 969 ended with

... contd.