Sensex rallies over 500 points in early trade
Equity benchmark Sensex rallied over 500 points in early trade on Friday, tracking gains in index majors HDFC twins, ICICI Bank and L&T amid a positive trend in global markets. The 30-share BSE index was trading 500.92 points or 1.03 percent higher at 48,941.04, and the broader NSE Nifty surged 156.30 points or 1.09 percent to 14,481.20.
Who were the top gainers and losers?
L&T was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, rising over two percent, followed by Bajaj Finserv, M&M, Tech Mahindra, NTPC, Asian Paints, ICICI Bank, and HDFC duo. On the other hand, PowerGrid, TCS, Dr. Reddy's, and Sun Pharma were among the laggards.
Sensex tumbled 740.19 points at end of session yesterday
In the previous session, the BSE index Sensex ended 740.19 points or 1.51 percent lower at 48,440.12, and the NSE Nifty declined 224.50 points or 1.54 percent to close at 14,324.90. Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) were net sellers in the capital market on Thursday as they offloaded shares worth Rs 3,383.60 crore, as per exchange data.
Coronavirus may keep markets volatile in the near term
"Domestic equities look good at the moment. A sharp rise in COVID-19 cases in the country has clearly made investors risk-averse in the domestic market. However, receding bond yields and oil prices this week have offered some comfort," said Binod Modi Head-Strategy at Reliance Securities. In his view, concerns over the new wave of coronavirus may keep markets volatile in the near term.
Brent crude was trading at $62.48 per barrel
Meanwhile, US equities recovered from the day's low and finished with modest gains mainly supported by improved job data and revised GDP figures for the December quarter. Elsewhere in Asia, bourses in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Seoul were trading on a positive note in mid-session deals. Meanwhile, the global oil benchmark Brent crude was trading 0.86 percent higher at $62.48 per barrel.
