The Sensex was up 36.66 points to close above the 3,900-mark at 3,926.07. The NSE S&P CNX Nifty Index was up 12.15 points to close at 1,246.90.
The market was volatile in early trades but edged up in the afternoon. The undertone looks good on the back of a good monsoon and June quarter results, according to market sources.
Cement and steel stocks were in the limelight on sustained institutional buying.
More From This Section
Cement pivotals ACC was up 3.44 per cent to close at Rs 209.05, Gujarat Ambuja Cements was up 2.75 per cent to close at Rs 235.20, Grasim was up 2.74 per cent to close at Rs 594.45 and L&T was up 1.54 per cent to close at Rs 273.20.
Jindal Steel was up 14.47 per cent to close at Rs 695.75. More than 1.52 lakh Jindal Steel shares were traded on BSE. Steel Authority of India was up 5.58 per cent to close at Rs 35.95. More than 1.41 crore SAIL shares were traded on BSE.
PSUs and other heavyweight pivotals also contributed to the gains of the Sensex.
HPCL was up 4.16 per cent to close at Rs 362.80. More than 9.67 lakh HPCL shares were traded on BSE today.
FMCG behemoth Hindustan Lever was up 2 per cent to close at Rs 175.55.
Heavyweight Reliance Industries was up 1.43 per cent to closed at Rs 361.55 and State Bank of India was up 0.88 per cent to close at Rs 432.15.
Tech bellwether Infosys Technologies closed at Rs 3,453.65, up 1.44 per cent over its previous close. Satyam Computer closed at Rs 199.20, up 1.17 per cent over its previous close.
Old economy pivotals Tata Steel was up 1.61 per cent to close at Rs 240.15, Castrol India was up 1.53 per cent to close at Rs 216, Hindalco was up 1.12 per cent to close at Rs 891.10 and Tata Motors was up 1.10 per cent to close at Rs 248.15.
HDFC was down 1.97 per cent to close at Rs 469.25 and BHEL was down 1.40 per cent to close at Rs 299.50.
i-flex solutions was down 4.35 per cent to close at Rs 1,065.35. More than 1 lakh i-flex shares were traded on BSE today.
IFCI was up 11.58 per cent to close at Rs 13.39. More than 1.12 crore IFCI shares were traded on BSE today.
FMCG pivotals Nestle India was down 2.64 per cent to close at Rs 572.25, Colgate-Palmolive was down 0.74 per cent to close at Rs 147 and ITC was down 0.25 per cent to close at Rs 769.