Sensex bounces back, closes 153 points higher (Second Lead)

MUMBAI - A benchmark index of Indian equities closed 153 points higher Monday on the back of last hour buying support in banking and auto stocks.

The 30-share sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) ended 0.76 percent or 152.80 points higher at 20,309.69 points.

After losing over four percent last week, the index opened almost flat at 20,167.62 points and touched a high of 20,335.51 points and low of 20,046.60 in the intra-day trade.

At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the 50-share S&P CNX Nifty closed 0.82 percent or 49.95 points higher at 6,121.60 points.

Broader market indices closed mixed. The BSE midcap index closed 0.19 percent higher at 8,447.93 points while the BSE smallcap index moved down 0.30 percent to 10,885.30.

However, the BSE Bankex index jumped 2.43 percent to 14,509.60 points.

State Bank of India surged 4.41 percent to Rs.3,164.15; HDFC Bank rose 2.84 percent to Rs.2,385.20 and ICICI Bank closed 1.73 percent higher at Rs.1,223.25.

Mahindra and Mahindra jumped 3.30 percent to Rs.799.95. Hero Honda rose 1.07 percent to Rs.1,835.95.

Other major Sensex gainers were Cipla, up 4.15 percent at Rs.343.60; Wipro, up 1.87 percent at Rs.433.15; Tata Steel, up 1.79 percent at Rs.617.15 and Bharti Airtel, up 1.13 percent at Rs.309.50.

Among the other Asian markets, the Shanghai Composite index rose 0.97 percent to 3,014.41 points. The Japanese Nikkei ended 1.06 percent higher at 9,827.51 points.

However, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng closed 0.81 percent down at 24,027.20 points.