Sensex ends choppy trade 70 pts higher, Nifty tops 13,750; IT stocks shine

The broader markets ended in the red for second straight day.

Subdued global sentiment weighed on domestic equity markets on Friday as investors booked profits across the board, barring in the information technology (IT) sector. However, last hour buying in select pharma and bank stocks helped indices to settle the day in the green.

The benchmark S&P BSE Sensex settled the day at fresh closing peak of 46,961 levels, up 70 points or 0.15 per cent. The index hit a record high of 47,026 in the opening deals but erased gains on sell-off in large private banks, metals and realty stocks.

At close, Infosys, Bajaj Auto, State Bank of India (SBI), and ICICI Bank (up between 1.4 per cent and 2.6 per cent) were the top gainers while IndusInd Bank, HDFC Bank, ONGC, and Maruti Suzuki ended the day as top laggards.

The Nifty50 index, on the other hand, ended at 13,760.5 levels, up 20 point or 0.14 pe cent.

On a weekly basis, both, the Sensex ans Nifty indices have advanced nearly 2 per cent.

The broader markets ended in the red for second straight day. The S&P BSE MidCap index closed at 63 points, or 0.35 per cent, lower at 17,801 level. The S&P BSE SmallCap index, too, dipped 42 points, or 0.2 per cent, at 17,769 levels.

On the sectoral front, Nifty Pharma and Nifty IT indices ended the day with over 1 per cent gains, while Nifty PSB, Nifty Private Bank, and Nifty Realty indices declined up to 0.7 per cent each.

Global markets

Asian shares slipped on Friday after Reuters reported that the United States is set to add dozens of Chinese companies, including the country's top chipmaker SMIC, to a trade blacklist later in the day.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan dropped 0.6 per cent from Thursday's record. Mainland Chinese shares fell 0.4 per cent while Hong Kong's Hang Seng lost 1 per cent.

Japan's Nikkei dipped 0.2 per cent, facing strong resistance around 27,000 while European shares are seen weaker, with Euro Stoxx 50 futures down 0.45 per cent and FTSE futures falling 0.3 per cent.

(With inputs from Reuters)

3:45 PM

IT stocks: All-round strength

3:44 PM

Nifty snapshot

IT stocks surge

3:43 PM

Sensex heat map

Infosys, Bajaj Auto, SBI among top gainers on Friday

3:42 PM

Markets at close

3:33 PM

CLOSING BELL

>> The benchmark S&P BSE Sensex settled the day at 46,961 levels, up 70 points or 0.15 per cent.

>> The Nifty50 index, on the other hand, ended at 13,760.5 levels, up 20 point or 0.14 pe cent.

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COMPANY	PRICE(rs)	52 WK HIGH	CHG(%)
ALEMBIC PHARMA	1114.00	1150.00	-1.16
ASIAN PAINTS	2618.55	2624.80	1.73
BERGER PAINTS	707.35	719.95	-0.32
BHARAT ELECTRON	120.60	122.65	0.25
BIRLASOFT LTD	208.95	217.40	4.21

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