Sensex up 144pts; BSE Metal index soars 3%

The Sensex has scaled a new high of 11,966, and is now up 144 points at the same levels.

The BSE Metal index has soared nearly 3% to 10,079.

Hindalco has surged 3.7% to Rs 207. Reliance and Tata Steel have rallied over 3% each to Rs 920 and Rs 608, respectively.

HDFC has advanced 2.7% to Rs 1,319. HDFC Bank has moved up 2.2% to Rs 850.

Wipro and Ranbaxy have soared nearly 2% each to Rs 581 and Rs 474, respectively.

BHEL and ONGC have surged 1.7% each to Rs 2,325 and Rs 1,330, respectively.

The market breadth is fairly positive. Out of 2,104 stocks traded so far, 1,299 have advanced, 739 have declined and 66 are unchanged.

Chowgule Steamships has soared 14% to Rs 29. Madras Aluminium, Zensar Tech, Fag Bearings, Hindustan Oil Exploration, Kalyani Steel, Sadbhav Engineering, Bhushan Steel, Simplex, Hexaware and Sterlite Industries are the other major gainers.

Shivalik Global and Bayer have dropped nearly 6% each to Rs 49 and Rs 190, respectively. BL Kashyap, HCL Tech, National Peroxide, Noida Toll,  NDTV, Swaraj Mazda, Mastek, Tata Elxsi, Sterlite Optical, iGate Global, Jindal Saw Pipes and Gujarat Narmada are the other prominent losers.