Sensex closes 408 points higher (Second Lead)

MUMBAI - A benchmark index for Indian equities Monday closed 408 points higher, backed by strong global cues.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 18,845.31 points, ended at 19,208.33 points, 408.67 points or 2.17 percent up from its previous close at 18,799.66 points.

All the 30 scrips on the Sensex were in the green, except RCom, which was trading marginally lower than its previous close.

Among the top gainers were key banking stocks SBI, HDFC and ICICI Bank.

At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the broader 50-share S&P CNX Nifty closed 2.13 percent higher at 5,760 points.

Medium size scrips too closed in the positive, but could not keep pace with the index heavyweights. The BSE midcap closed 0.77 percent up and the BSE smallcap index 0.22 percent higher.

Stocks from banking, realty, energy and metal space were among the top gainers. All 13 sectoral indices on the BSE were in the positive.