Reuters Market Eye - The benchmark BSE Sensex rises as software services exporters lead gains after Wall Street hit a record high on strong data from the holiday shopping season and a fall in initial jobless claims. The Sensex was trading up 132 points while the Nifty gained 36 points as of 12.48 pm.
Recent data continues to point to a sturdier U.S. economy, further brightening the outlook for India's export-dependant IT sector.
Infosys Ltd gains 1.2 percent to 3,563.00 rupees.
Tata Consultancy Services Ltd rises 2 percent to 2,142 rupees.
Blue chip stocks also extend gains, after foreign institutional investors were net buyers of 7.44 billion rupees in Indian shares on Thursday, bringing their monthly total so far to around $2.5 billion.
Housing Development Finance Corp gains 1.1 percent, while Larsen & Toubro Ltd is up 0.3 percent.
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($1 = 62.0700 rupees)
(Reporting by Indulal PM)