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Indices hold firm

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Capital Market
Last Updated : May 20 2019 | 1:31 PM IST

Stocks held firm in afternoon trade on strong buying demand in index pivotals. At 13:17 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 1,118.81 points or 2.95% at 39,049.58. The Nifty 50 index was up 332.55 points or 2.92% at 11,739.70. Shares of index heavyweight and housing finance major HDFC surged. Sentiment was boosted after most exit polls forecast a majority for the ruling BJP-led NDA in Lok Sabha polls.

Local stocks opened on a strong note after most exit polls forecast a majority for the ruling BJP-led NDA in Lok Sabha polls. The Sensex regained the psychological 38,000 mark in opening trade. Stocks extended rally in morning trade. Key indices held strong intraday gains in mid-morning trade. Key indices held strong intraday gains in mid-morning trade. Key equity benchmarks extending strong intraday gains in early afternoon trade, with the Sensex moving above the psychological 39,000 level.

The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index was up 3.05%. The S&P BSE Small-Cap index was up 3.08%.

The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was strong. On the BSE, 1861 shares rose and 552 shares fell. A total of 144 shares were unchanged.

State Bank of India (up 8.01%), Yes Bank (up 6.24%), L&T (up 5.95%), Tata Motors (up 5.4%) and IndusInd Bank (up 5.2%) edged higher from the Sensex pack.

Bajaj Auto (down 1.05%) and Infosys (down 0.4%) edged lower from the Sensex pack.

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Index heavyweight and housing finance major HDFC surged 4.24% to Rs 2,078.30.

Hindustan Petroleum Corporation jumped 7.66% ahead of its January-March 2019 quarterly earnings today, 20 May 2019.

Most exit polls forecast a majority for the ruling BJP-led NDA in Lok Sabha polls with varying numbers. The poll of polls puts NDA safely above the majority mark at 312, while UPA is likely to score 110 seats and others will have to do with 98. The poll of polls is an average of various exit polls. An election exit poll is a poll among voters conducted immediately after they leave their polling stations. It is conducted by a number of organisations and is considered an indicator to which party might form the next government.

The 2019 polls, held from April 11 to May 19, will decide which party presides over the 17th Lok Sabha. Elections were held for 542 seats. A party or coalition needs 272 seats in parliament to form a government. The counting of votes is slated for May 23.

Overseas, Asian stocks were trading mixed on Monday as investors awaited the next chapter in the Sino-American trade dispute. Japan's economy grew at an annualized 2.1% in the first quarter, gross domestic product (GDP) data showed on Monday.

U.S. stocks bounced back from deep losses Friday but still closed lower as trade-related jitters overshadowed strong economic data. Meanwhile, the U.S. and Canada on Friday said they reached a deal to end tariffs imposed by Washington on aluminum and steel products from Canada, while Canada will remove all retaliatory tariffs.

In US economic data, consumer sentiment rose to a 15-year high of 102.4 in May, above April's reading of 97.2, according to the University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index. The Conference Board's estimate of leading economic indicators rose for the third straight month in April to 112.1, up 0.2% from March, the group said Friday. The survey of economic conditions is a collection of forward-looking data that attempts to predict future economic growth.

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First Published: May 20 2019 | 1:20 PM IST

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