BSE Sensex up 135 pts at nearly 2-week high, ONGC shares jump 4%, NSE Nifty up 0.70%

However, Bharti Airtel shed 1.94 per cent on fears of increasing competitive intensity after an inter-ministerial body yesterday approved a recommendation that allows companies having ISP licences and holding 4G spectrum to offer phone calls services by paying a fee of Rs 1,658 crore each.

Globally, while Asian stocks ended mixed, European markets were trading higher ahead of German economic sentiment data. Benchmark indices in UK, France and Germany were last trading with gains of between 0.18 per cent and 0.98 per cent.

Asian stocks ended mixed as key benchmark indices in Hong Kong, China and Japan were down by 0.31 per cent to 1.60 per cent. Key benchmark indices in Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan rose by 0.20 per cent to 0.23 per cent.

Moving to the local market, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) continued their buying spree by investing Rs 142.91 crore yesterday as per provisional data from bourses.

Investors' focus is now on Union Budget 2013-14 to be presented on February 28, experts said.

Small-cap and Mid-cap shares today moved up on buying from retail investors as these indices rose by 0.94 per cent and 1.12 per cent respectively.

In the benchmark Sensex, 22 scrips ended higher while eight declined.

Major gainers included ONGC (4.03 pc), Bajaj Auto (2.36 pc), Maruti Suzuki (2.19 pc), BHEL (2.00 pc), Cipla (1.96 pc), Wipro (1.90 pc), Sterlite Ind (1.63 pc), NTPC (1.62 pc), Infosys (1.53 pc), HUL (1.47 pc), Dr Reddy's (1.27 pc), TCS (1.25 pc) and Hindalco (1.04 pc).

However,

... contd.