Sensex up 159pts; ONGC down 3%

The Sensex is now up 159 points at 16,175.

The NSE Nifty is up 59 points at 4,889.

Tata Steel has soared 7.5% to Rs 704.

Infosys has surged 3.7% to Rs 1,494. Wipro has rallied over 3% to Rs 444, and Satyam has gained 2.5% at Rs 405.

Jaiprakash Associates has moved up nearly 3% to Rs 238. Cipla and NTPC have added 2.7% each to Rs 217 and Rs 202, respectively.

ITC and Reliance Energy have advanced 2.5% each to Rs 205 and Rs 1,319, respectively.

Reliance, BHEL and Larsen & Toubro are up over 2% each at Rs 2,327, Rs 2,030 and Rs 3,030, respectively.

HDFC Bank and HDFC have plunged 3.6% to Rs 1,383 and Rs 2,565, respectively.

ONGC has shed 2.7% at Rs 1,040. ICICI Bank has slipped 2% to Rs 818.

Hindustan Unilever and Tata Motors have declined around 1.5% each to Rs 240 and Rs 645, respectively.

Mahindra & Mahindra, Bharti Airtel and Maruti are down around 1% each at Rs 678, Rs 816 and Rs 829, respectively.

Out of 2,676 stocks traded so far, 2,205 have advanced, 431 have declined and 40 are unchanged.