Stock market highlights: Equity markets ended Thursday's volatile trade with small gains as the monthly F&O expiry and assembly exit polls due after market hours kept investors on the edge. The BSE Sensex closed at 66,988, up 87 points after recovering from the day's low of 66,610. The NSE Nifty index ended 36 points higher at 20,133.
Ultratech Cement, Sun Pharma, Bharti Airtel, Eicher Motors and HDFC Life were the leading frontline gainers, which gained 2-3 per cent. Reliance Ind, IndusInd Bank, Adani Enterprises, Aani Ports, Power Grid, Asian Paints, Tata Motors and TCS were the lead drags, which lost nearly 1 per cent each.
The highlight of Thursday's subdued trade remained the new debutants--Tata Technologies and Gandhar Oil Refinery--which funneled part of the market liquidity.
After listing at a whopping 140 per cent premium, shares of Tata Technologies closed at Rs 1,326, which is 165 per cent higher against the issue price of Rs 500.
Meanwhile, those of Gandhar Oil Refinery listed at a premium of 75 per cent and closed 79 per cent higher at Rs 302 versus the issue price of Rs 169 per share.
Broader indices BSE SmallCap and MidCap posted sharp outperformance, closing 1 per cent and 0.8 per cent higher, respectively.
Among sectors, Nifty FMCG, Pharma, Realty and Consumer Durables closed 0.8 to 1.7 per cent higher.