Sensex up 238pts; ONGC, ITC surge

The Sensex is now up 238 points at 12,944.

Updated at 1455 hrs

The Sensex is now up 221 points at 12,927.

ICICI Bank has soared 5.3% to Rs 868. Reliance Energy has surged 3.7% to Rs 494.

ONGC and ITC have gained 3.4% each at Rs 817 and Rs 146, respectively.

HLL, BHEL and SBI have moved up around 2.7% each to Rs 189, Rs 2,098 and Rs 977, respectively.

Hero Honda has advanced 2.3% to Rs 650. Larsen & Toubro and Satyam have added 2% each to Rs 1,506 and Rs 454, respectively.

Gujarat Ambuja has shed 4.7% to Rs 106. Grasim has dropped over 2% to Rs 2,077.

Ranbaxy, HDFC and ACC have slipped over 1% each to Rs 332, Rs 1,547 and Rs 741, respectively.

Out of 2,582 stocks traded so far, 1,371 have declined, 1,129 have advanced and 82 are unchanged.