)
The 30-share Sensex ended up 214 points at 25,020 and the 50-share Nifty ended up 72 points at 7,474.
The rupee was trading higher at 59.29 per dollar as against the last closing level of 59.33 tracking gains in domestic stock markets after they surged to record highs.
Asian stock markets ended mixed with Shanghai Composite gaining the most. Japanese stocks ended at near three-month highs on Thursday because of a weaker yen, but upside gains remained capped as investors turned cautious and booked profit ahead of US jobs report on Friday. The benchmark Nikkei ended 0.1% higher at 15,079.37, the highest closing level since March 11. Shanghai Composite gained 0.8% while Hang Seng ended down 0.2%. Straits Times ended flat with negative bias.
European markets were also trading mixed, with only the CAC-40 trading with marginal gains. The benchmark index was up 0.1%, while DAX was trading lower with a negative bias and FTSE was down 0.3%.
The BSE Metal Index was the top gainer, up 3.3%, followed by Power, Oil and Gas, IT and FMCG indices, up 1.5-2% each.
Tata Motors bounced back after its recent correction amid weak global sales in April. The auto major ended up 3.3%, contributing the most to the Sensex gains.
In the oil and gas sector, Reliance Industries gained 0.8% and ONGC ended up 2.92% on hopes that subsidy burden would reduce on reports that oil marketing prices would hike retail fuel prices.
Sesa Sterlite ended up 6.3% and was the top Sensex gainer. Among other metal shares, Tata Steel gained 3.5% and Hindalco ended up 5.3%.
Technology shares also witnessed short covering and rebounded in late trades to end with gains. Infosys gained 1.5%, Wipro rose 1.8% and TCS ended up 0.7%.
FMCG shares firmed up on hopes that normal monsoons would help volume growth in the rural segment. Hindustan Unilever ended up 4.3% and ITC ended up 0.7%.
Among other shares, Mercator ended up 1.5% at Rs 36.85 after Mercator Energy Pte (MEPL), a step-down foreign wing of the company involved in carrying on the business of oil & gas and integrated services, entered into an agreement to avail a facility of $55 million.
KSK Energy Ventures surged 5% to end at Rs 118 on the BSE after the company approved an issue price of Rs 99 per share for the QIP issue of 4.04 crore equity shares aggregating to about Rs 400 crore.
Cement stocks gained ground in today's trade on reports that cement companies have gone ahead with a price hike in the range of 3-30% across various regions. Some of the major gainers were Shree Cement, Prism Cement, Mangalam Cement, India Cements, Heidelberg Cement, ended up 4-8%. ACC ended up 1%, UltraTech Cement ended up 3% and Shree Cement gained 3% to end at 7,418.
Trent extended its gains for the second consecutive day to end up 5.6% at Rs 1,111 after Tesco Plc, British multinational grocery and general merchandise retailer, announced a joint venture with Tata Group's Trent.
Suzlon Energy rose 5% to end at Rs 29.85 on BSE after the company said it has been awarded a 100.8 MW order by ReNew Wind Power, India's leading IPP in the wind energy sector.
In the broader market, the BSE Mid-cap ended up 1% and Small-cap index gained 1.4%.
The market breadth was positive, with 2,157 gainers and 866 losers on the BSE.
