Investors choose hope over fear; Sensex up 673 pts, Nifty reclaims 17,800

The benchmark indices extended their gains during the second session of the new year as investors looked past the surging Covid cases and continued to bet on India's economic recovery.

The Sensex ended Tuesday's session at 59,856, following a gain of 673 points or 1.1 per cent. The surge was led by Reliance, TCS, and finance majors in the index.  The Nifty50, on the other hand, rose 179 points or 1.02 per cent and ended the day at 17,805.

The market breadth was positive, with 1,848 stocks gaining and 1,538 declining on the BSE. Around 551 stocks hit their 52-week high on