Sensex up 17pts; cement stocks crumble

The Sensex is now up 17 points at 12,902.

Gujarat Ambuja has plunged 5% to Rs 104. ACC has shed 4.7% to Rs 744, and Grasim has dropped 3.5% to Rs 1,998.

ITC has tumbled 3.5% to Rs 149. HDFC Bank has declined 2.3% to Rs 958.

Reliance Energy and Reliance Communications have slipped 1.3% each to Rs 475 and Rs 417, respectively.

Bharti Aritel has surged 2.5% to Rs 769. TCS has advanced 2.2% to Rs 1,239.

Cipla has gained 1.8% to Rs 233, and Wipro has added 1.5% to Rs 573.

ONGC, Larsen & Toubro, HDFC, Satyam and HLL are up over 1% each at Rs 791, Rs 1,499, Rs 1,583, Rs 443 and Rs 185, respectively.

Out of 2,559 stocks traded so far, 1,457 have advanced, 1,034 have declined and 68 are unchanged.