<div> Stock markets ended financial year 2013-14 in a grand fashion with the BSE benchmark Sensex and NSE Nifty moving up to all-time high levels for the sixth day in succession on Monday (31 March).</div><div> </div><div>The indices, however, fell from their peak intra-day positions on profit-booking. The 30-share BSE Sensex rose to historic high of 22,467.21 points in a day marked by high volatility.</div><div> </div><div>The key barometer finally settled at 22,386.27 points-- setting a fresh closing record for the fourth </div><div>straight day-- 46.30 points or 0.21 per cent higher than its previous close.</div><div> </div><div>The 50-share Nifty recorded its lifetime closing high of 6,704.20, up by 8.30 points from its previous close. </div><div> </div><div>It jumped to 6,730.05, all-time intra-trade record high.</div><div> </div><div>With foreign fund flows continuing relentlessly, the indices have been setting record life-time high for six days in succession. Brokers attributed the rally to investor hopes of a stable government after elections and signs of economy returning to high growth path.</div><div> </div><div>The Sensex has gained 1,266.15 points in March this year, the best monthly gain since October. For the full fiscal, the key index has witnessed a rise of 3,550.50 points, an increase of 18.8 per cent from closing level on March 28 last year.</div><div> </div><div>Expectations that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its annual monetary policy tomorrow will keep the key rates unchanged also buoyed the market sentiment.</div><div> </div><div>Metal stocks were at the forefront of the rally. Brokers said metal stocks attracted buying on hopes that China will take steps to stimulate sagging economy. The communist country is the world's largest consumer of copper and aluminium.</div><div> </div><div>Hindalco zoomed 8.71 per cent to end the day as the best Sensex gainer of the day. Tata Steel was the next best 3.40 per cent, while SSLT gained 2.76 per cent.</div><div> </div><div>"Markets seem to be in a bullish mood and very optimistic of the upcoming RBI policy," said Rakesh Goyal, Senior Vice President, Bonanza Portfolio. With the inflation and IIP numbers coming under manageable levels, markets are certainly expecting some positive news from RBI policy revies, he added.</div><div> </div><div>Other major gainers were Maruti Suzuki at 2.04 per cent, Sun Pharma 1.75 per cent, RIL 1.68 per cent, M&M 1.39 per cent, HDFC 1.20 per cent, Bajaj Auto 1.09 per cent, TCS 1.08 per cent and Hero MotoCorp 1.06 per cent.</div><div> </div><div>Of 30-share Sensex, 18 scrips out closed higher while others finished lower.</div><div> </div><div>ONGC dropped by 2.91 per cent, Dr Reddy's Lab 2.15 per cent, Tata Power 1.85 per cent, ITC 1.69 per cent, Wipro 1.61 per cent, Gail India 1.35 per cent, BHEL 1.25 per cent, L&T 1.21 per cent and ICICI Bank 1.06 per cent.</div><div> </div><div>Among the S&P BSE sectoral indices, metal rose by 3.87 per cent, followed by realty 2.83 per cent, consumer durables 2.62 per cent and auto 1.05 per cent, while power declined by 0.60 per cent and FMCG 0.64 per cent.</div><div> </div><div>The market breadth remained positive as 1,706 stocks ended in the green, 1,024 stocks finished in the red while 149 ruled steady.</div><div> </div><div>Second-line shares attracted good buying interest by retail investors and outperformed the Sensex. The BSE-Smallcap and Midcap indices closed up by 1.04 per cent each.</div><div> </div><div>Meanwhile, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) bought shares worth a net Rs 1,362.87 crore on last Friday, as per provisional data from stock exchanges.</div><div> </div><div>Asian stocks, excepting China, closed higher on hopes that China will take steps to stimulate its economy. </div><div> </div><div>Key benchmark indices in Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan and Taiwan finised up between 0.23 0.90 per cent. China closed down by 0.41 per cent.</div><div> </div><div>European markets were trading mixed with upward bias in late morning today on hopes of slowdown in inflation in the region. The FTSE was up by 0.62 per cent, the DAX by 0.05 per cent while the CAC was down by 0.04 per cent.</div><div><br /><br />(Agencies)<br /> </div>
