Markets will remain shut on Friday on account of Christmas.

Stock broker

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	Frontline indices ended the session near record highs on Thursday as investors went on Christmas holiday in a festive mood. Reports that Britain and the European Union have closed in on a free-trade deal, while short covering in banking counters back home lifted the indices.&nbsp;</div>
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	That apart, hopes for more fiscal spending and expectations that coronavirus vaccines will become more available next year also supported global sentiment.</div>
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	The S&P BSE Sensex gained 529 points, or 1.14 per cent, to settle the day at 46,973.5 levels. Sun Pharmaceuticals, Axis Bank, Reliance Industries, HDFC, and Bajaj Finance, up between 2 per cent and 3 per cent, closed the day as top gainers on the Sensex. On the downside, profit-booking in IT and FMCG stocks resulted in Infosys, Nestle, and HCL Tech ending the day as top drags.</div>
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	The broader Nifty50 closed at 13,749-mark, up 148 points or 1 per cent.</div>
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	Among other sectoral indices on the NSE, Nifty Bank and Nifty Financial indices ended Thursday&#39;s session nearly 2 per cent higher each, while Nifty Pharma was up 1 per cent at close. Nifty IT index closed 0.65 per cent down.</div>
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	Markets will remain shut on Friday on account of Christmas.</div>
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	<strong>Global markets</strong></div>
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	Investors cheered news that Britain and the European Union were on the cusp of striking a narrow trade deal on Thursday that would help them avoid a turbulent economic rupture on New Year&rsquo;s Day.</div>
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	MSCI&#39;s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.45 per cent, Australian stocks ended 0.33 per cent higher, while Tokyo shares rose 0.45 per cent.&nbsp;</div>
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	Chinese stocks, however, fell 0.28 per cent dragged by Alibaba Group Holding Ltd whose shares slumped 8.13 per cent, their biggest daily drop in six weeks, after China&#39;s market regulator said it will investigate the tech giant for suspected monopolistic behaviour.</div>
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	In Europe, FTSE 100 rose 0.07 per cent while the more domestically-focused British mid-cap FTSE 250 index hit its highest levels since February, and UK small caps a record high. The STOXX 50 added 0.17 per cent while Germany&#39;s DAX gained 1.26 per cent.</div>
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	<em><strong>(With inputs from Reuters)</strong></em></div>
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Indices end near records; Sensex gains 529 pts; RIL up 2.5%, Infy dips 1%

Business Standard

Indices end near records; Sensex gains 529 pts; RIL up 2.5%, Infy dips 1% | News on Markets - Business Standard

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Indices end near records; Sensex gains 529 pts; RIL up 2.5%, Infy dips 1%

Markets will remain shut on Friday on account of Christmas.

Track all the latest markets developments here.

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