Sensex ends up 61pts, Ranbaxy soars 6%

The Sensex opened with a positive gap of 102 points at 12,747. The index pared gains in early noon deals, and dropped to a low of 12,675. A fresh round of buying, thereafter, saw the index rally to a high of 12,799 - up 154 points from its previous close. The index, however, pared gains towards the close and finally settled with a gain of 61 points at 12,706.

The BSE Bankex and Healthcare indices advanced over 1% each to 6291 and 3525, respectively.

The market breadth was positive - out of 2,635 stocks traded, 1,367 advanced, 1,201 declined and 67 were unchanged.

INDEX MOVERS & SHAKERS

Ranbaxy soared over 6% to Rs 336 after reports said the company has withdrawn its bid for Merck's generics business.

Reliance Energy and Grasim surged 4% each to Rs 476 and Rs 2,124, respectively.

Gujarat Ambuja, Hindalco and HDFC Bank advanced around 3% each to Rs 111, Rs 133 and Rs 954, respectively.

Satyam gained nearly 3% at Rs 446. SBI and Cipla moved up around 2.5% each to Rs 953 and Rs 230, respectively.

HLL and HDFC were up around 2% each at Rs 184 and Rs 1,566. ACC added 1% to Rs 748.

BHEL dropped 1.7% to Rs 2,044. Infosys slipped 1.5% to Rs 2,054.

Wipro and Tata Steel were down 1.3% each to Rs 571 and Rs 424, respectively.

VALUE & VOLUME TOPPERS

MindTree topped the value chart with a turnover of Rs 157.70 crore followed by Reliance Communications (Rs 85.25 crore), AMD Metplast (Rs 70.45 crore), Reliance Capital (Rs 69.80 crore) and Sesa Goa (Rs 59.65 crore).

IFCI led the volume chart with trades of around 1.40 crore shares followed by AMD Metplast (82.70 lakh), Astral Ploy (54.20 lakh), Jagjanani (42.80 lakh) and Idea (31.15 lakh).