Markets extends gains

The Sensex has extended gains and is now at 16,139, up 100 points. The NSE Nifty is 4,827, up 25 points.
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(Updated at 1222hrs)

The Sensex continues to move flat and is now at 16,067, up 29 points from its previous close. The NSE Nifty is at 4,805, up three points.

Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Hindustan Unilever and BHEL have advanced 1.5% each to Rs 546, Rs 693, Rs 233 and Rs 2,380, respectively.

The other prominent gainers include Sterlite, Sun Pharma, ICICI Bank, Maruti, HDFC and Grasim Industries, up 0.5% each.

Bharti Airtel is the major dragger, down 3.5% each at Rs 276. HDFC Bank, Hero Honda and Wipro are down 0.5% each.

The market breadth has turned maginally negative, out of 2,679 shares traded, 1,308 have declined and 1,270 have advanced so far on the BSE.

Among the sectoral indices, the healthcare and the auto indices have added over 0.5% each. On the other hand the realty index has slipped 0.5% each.