Nifty ends above 5,350

Markets ended today's trading session on a strong note on buying interest across sectors. The Sensex and Nifty gained 1.7%. The Sensex added 285 points to shut shop at 17,602 and the 50-share Nifty surged 90 points to close at 5,365 levels.

Asian markets ended mixed with the Hang Seng and Nikkei ending with marginal losses while Shanghai and Taiwan closed with modest gains.

Meanwhile, the European markets were trading marginally higher. CAC 40 index is up 32 points at 3,562, DAX has advanced 50 points to 7,105 and the FTSE is at 5,913, up 22 points.

Back home, realty, capital goods banking and metal stocks were on the buyers radar. Capital Goods index was the top sectoral gainer. The index jumped 3.6% to 10,390 levels. Thermax, Suzlon Energy, Punj Lloyd, BEML, Crompton Greaves, Alstom Projects, AIA Engineering and Praj Industries were among the top gainers.

BSE Realty index also ended higher by 3.5% at 1,845 levels. HDIL was the top gainer from this space. The stoclk jumped 8.6% to Rs 102. Unitech, Anant Raj Industries, DLF, Phoenix Mills, Godrej Properties and Sobha Deelopers were also among the gainers.

Bankex, Power, Metal, IT, Auto, PSU, Healthcare and Consumer Durable indices also ended higher in trades today. The respective indices jumped 1-2.4% each.

Among the Sensex stocks, Larsen & Toubro was the top gainer, up 4.5% to Rs 1,348 levels. DLF, Tata Steel, TCS, ICICI Bank, Bharti Airtel, BHEL, Bajaj Auto, SBI, HDFC Bank, Gail India, Mahindra & Mahindra and HUL also jumped 2-4% each.

On the other hand, Hindalco, ONGC, ITC, Sun Pharma and Hero MotoCorp were among the notable losers.

Among the individual stocks, Tech Mahindra rallied 5.5% to Rs 684 after the company announced amalgamation of Satyam Computer Services (Mahindra Satyam) with itself in the ratio of 2:17, to consolidate the information technology / software and related businesses and to form a single entity providing services in this sector. Shares of Mahindra Satyam ended higher by 4.6% at Rs 77.

Tata Metaliks was locked in 10% upper circuit at Rs 70.05 after the company announced fund raising plans through preferential issue.

Man Infraconstruction ended higher by 3% at Rs 168 after the company said it has secured work orders worth of Rs 113 crore for construction of residential towers.

Shares of cement manufacturers such as Century Textiles and Industries, Kesoram Industries, India Cements, Ambuja Cements, Prism Cement, Jaiprakash Associates and ACC ended higher in trades today on back of huge volumes. Most of the cement companies had announced a price hike of Rs 7-10 per bag of 50 kg w.e.f March 17, after the finance minister announced hike in excise duty.

According to reports, cement companies will benefit from abolition of differential price-based excise duty, only 5% import duty on coal and change in structure of charging excise duty from factory gate to retail sale price minus 30% abatement.

The broader markets ended on a strong note. The BSE mid-cap index jumped nearly 2% or 123 points to close at 6,459 and the small-cap index ended higher by 82 points to close at 6,712 levels.

The overall breadth was positive as 1,758 stocks advanced while 1,136 stocks declined.