Sensex up 148pts; HDFC rallies 6%

The Sensex is now up 148 points at 15,143.

The NSE Nifty is down five points at 4,569.

HDFC has zoomed nearly 6% to Rs 2,340. Wipro has soared 4.6% to Rs 394, and ICICI Bank has surged over 4% to Rs 798.

HDFC Bank and Hindustan Unilever have rallied 3.5% each to Rs 1,314 and Rs 233, respectively.

Bharti Airtel has gained 2.5% at Rs 797. Maruti, Mahindra & Mahindra and SBI have advanced over 2% each to Rs 840, Rs 672 and Rs 1,635, respectively.

Tata Motors and ACC have moved up nearly 2% each to Rs 663 and Rs 791, respectively.

Reliance Energy and Tata Steel have plunged nearly 7% each to Rs 1,125 and Rs 595, respectively.

DLF has dropped 3.3% to Rs 602, and Jaiprakash Associates has shed 2% at Rs 200.

BHEL has slipped 1.7% to Rs 1,817, and Hindalco has declined 1.4% to Rs 153.

The market breadth is fairly negative - out of 2,643 stocks traded so far, 2,192 have declined, 404 have advanced and 47 are unchanged.