Sensex, Nifty Closed Higher On Monthly Expiry, RIL Top Index Contributer

Strong buying in Metal, Energy and Bank stocks led the indices to end the February series on a positive front. Sensex opened on a higher note tracking positive global cues as Fed's comment on inflation calmed the investors. The US markets and trends on SGX Nifty supported the market sentiment in India. 

Sensex closed at 51,039.31, adding 257 points or 0.51 per cent. Nifty-50 closed higher by 115 points at 15,097.35. BSE Smallcap and Midcap indices surged over one per cent each.

Reliance Industries stood among the top index contributer as it surged over four per cent in the intraday trade to hit the day's high of Rs 2,152.00. Earlier, the company announced O2C business spin-off into 100 per cent subsidiary.

Coal India, UPL, Axis Bank and IndusInd Bank made to the top gainers of Nifty at closing. Shares of Coal India surged over eight per cent after the company's board proposed for second interim dividend. 

However, shares of HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank slipped red in the second half of the trading session and brought the banking index down from day's highs and also weighed the BSE Sensex a bit. 

ICICI Bank, Nestle and Larsen accounted to top drags for the market. ICICI Bank slipped by Rs 20 from day's high of 648.40 and closed at 628.00.

In the Smallcap index, Justdial added major gains today as the share climbed the 20 per cent upper circuit at Rs 767.90. 

Ruchit Purohit

BW Reporters The author is a Trainee Journalist at BW Businessworld based in Mumbai. He tracks the Markets and related news.