CLOSING BELL Key benchmark indices defied the weak global market trend and turned sharply higher on Monday as Russia and Ukraine began talks at Belarus border. Despite the ongoing conflict between the two countries, headline S&P BSE Sensex and the Nifty50 gained 0.7 per cent each supported by buying in metal, IT, Realty, and PSB stocks.
The BSE 30-pack index had fallen over 1,000 points in the early morning deals, but recovered smartly to rise nearly 1,500 points from the day's low. It eventually settled the day at 56,247, up 389 points.
Hindalco (up over 7 per cent), Tata Steel, Power Grid, JSW Steel, Coal India, BPCL, Titan Company, RIL, and Indian Oil Corporation were the biggest large-cap gainers on the bourses today.
Metal counters led from the front as sanctions against Russia raised possibility of supply disruptions of aluminium and gas, which will push up prices. Russia produces about 6 per cent of the world's aluminium and accounts for about 7 per cent of global nickel mine supplies.
READ MORE Meanwhile, in the broader market, the BSE MidCap and SmallCap indices added 0.8 per cent each.
Among individual stocks, Natco Pharma, Jindal Steel, BEL, Crisil, SAIL, Future Enterprises, Vadilal Industries, UTI AMC, and Shankara Industries soared up to 17 per cent.
On the sectoral front, apart from the Nifty Metal index, which closed nearly 5 per cent higher, the Nifty Oil and gas index (up 2.6 per cent), IT index (up 1 per cent), and the Nifty FMCG index (up 0.6 per cent) were the other star performers. On the flipside, the Nifty Auto and Bank indices were the worst hit, down 0.7 per cent each.
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European stocks were sharply lower on Monday as global markets track developments in the Russia-Ukraine crisis. The pan-European Stoxx 600 dropped 1.7 per cent in early trade, with banks plunging 5.7 per cent. Meanwhile, futures linked to the US main stock indices were down over 1 per cent each.
Earlier in Asia, Japan's Nikkei closed 0.19 per cent higher, South Korea's Kospi added 0.8 per cent, while Hang Seng slipped 0.24 per cent.