After hitting a life-time high of 21,293.88 in the opening trade, the BSE-benchmark Sensex ended marginally in the green amid mixed global cues.
Domestic sentiment was boosted by data showing foreign funds made massive purchases yesterday. Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) bought shares worth Rs 1,875.87 crore on Thursday, as per provisional data from the stock exchanges.
It was also buoyed with the RBI easing liquidity situation by cutting the marginal standing facility (MSF) to 8.75 per cent in its monetary policy on Tuesday.
The 30-share BSE index Sensex was up 32.29 points (0.15 per cent) at 21,196.81 and the 50-share NSE index Nifty was up 8.05 points (0.13 per cent) at 6,307.20.
Among BSE sectoral indices, realty index gained the most by 2.61 per cent, followed by banking 1.45 per cent, metal 1.41 per cent and auto 1.29 per cent.
On the other hand, FMCG and consumer durables indices fell the most by 0.92 per cent and 0.73 per cent, respectively, followed by oil & gas 0.51 per cent and IT 0.48 per cent.
SBI, M&M, Jindal Steel, SSLT and Coal India were the top five Sensex gainers, while the top five losers were ONGC, NTPC, ITC, Infosys and GAIL.
Extending its gains for the fourth straight session, the Sensex rose 129.36 points or 0.61 per cent to trade at record high of 21,293.88 points, surpassing the previous intra-day record high of 21,206.77 reached on January 10, 2008. It had rallied 594.24 points in the past three sessions.
Similarly, the broad-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty rose 33.45 points or 0.53 per cent to 6,332.60.
European stocks fell, paring the fourth weekly gain for the Stoxx Europe 600 Index, as investors awaited the US manufacturing data.
Asian stocks were down, with the regional benchmark index paring its weekly gains, as US developments give rise to speculation that the Federal Reserve will reduce the stimulus in the coming months. This overshadowed improving Chinese factory output data.
US jobless claims dropped last week and its Mid-west region reported better business activities last month - indications of the economy recovering. In Asia, data showed that the Chinese factory output had increased to an 18-month high.
The US developments are in sync with the Federal Reserve’s observation that there are signs of the economy strengthening, giving rise to speculation that the $85-billion-a-month stimulus package could be pruned earlier than expected.