The BSE benchmark Sensex ended the session higher by 120.11 points or 0.42 per cent at 28,562.82 and the NSE index Nifty closed up by 26.75 points or 0.31 per cent at 8,564.40.

Domestic sentiment was buoyed on heavy capital inflows owing to positive global cues.

Sectoral indices

Among BSE sectoral indices, FMCG index was the star-performer and was up 3.00 per cent, followed by banking 0.76 per cent, capital goods 0.4 per cent and metal 0.29 per cent.

On the other hand, India infrastructure, TECk, consumer durables and and IT sector stocks succumbed to selling pressure and were down 0.89 per cent, 0.62 per cent, 0.53 per cent and 0.48 per cent, respectively.

BSE gainers, losers

ITC (5.44%), SSLT (2.8%), Cipla (2.61%), ICICI Bank (0.9%) and HUL (0.84%) were the major Sensex gainers, while the top five losers were Bharti Airtel (2.08%), Hindalco (1.63%), BHEL (1.56%), M&M (1.51%) and Tata Power (1.44%).

Opening trade

The 30-share index, which had retreated from record-high by falling 251.28 points in the past three sessions, recovered by 278.41 points, or 0.98 per cent, to 28,721.12 with all the sectoral indices, led by FMCG, realty, oil & gas and banking, trading in positive zone with gains up to 2.26 per cent.

Also, the National Stock Exchange index Nifty gathered 89.30 points, or 1.04 per cent, to 8,626.95, breaching its previous peak of 8,623 touched on December 1.

Brokers comment

A report by SMC Investments and Advisors said: “Asian stocks rose, as Japanese shares extended gains with the dollar near its strongest level since 2007 versus the yen. US stocks rallied into the close, with the Dow and S&P 500 ending the day at records amid encouraging economic reports on Wednesday. Growth in US service sector activity accelerated by much more than anticipated in the month of November, the Institute for Supply Management revealed in a report, with the index of activity in the sector rebounding after falling in the two previous months. The ISM said its non-manufacturing index jumped to 59.3 in November from 57.1 in October, with a reading above 50 indicating growth in the service sector. Economists had expected the index to show a more modest uptick to a reading of 57.5.”

Equity brokers said that the domestic sentiment bolstered on expectations that a Health Ministry proposal to ban the sale of loose cigarettes is likely to be put on hold following objections by some MPs, including some Union ministers, and farmers associations against taking drastic regulatory steps.

Global markets

Bets that the European Central Bank chief, Mario Draghi, will open the door wider to US-style money printing pinned the euro at a two-year low and lifted >world shares on Thursday , as China and Japan also geared up for more stimulus.

>Asian stocks rose on Thursday amid fresh signs of resilience in the US economy, while the euro wallowed near two-year lows before a much-anticipated European Central Bank meeting that could open the door to more stimulus.

Tokyo’s Nikkei climbed 0.7 per cent, touching a new seven-year high, with sentiment buoyed by media projections suggesting a strong win for Japanese premier Shinzo Abe’s coalition at the December 14 election. A victory for Abe could lead to a new mandate for his “Abenomics’’ policies to revive the economy.

MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.4 per cent, while Australian shares were up 0.5 per cent.

The improved mood was helped by the >Dow and S&P rising to record highs overnight after private payrolls and services sector data underscored the US economy’s resilience.

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