Sensex up 78pts; ICICI Bank, ONGC gain 3%

The Sensex is now up 78 points at 17,638.

Reliance Energy has zoomed nearly 6% to Rs 1,410. Ambuja Cements has soared 4% to Rs 145.

ACC has surged 3.3% to Rs 1,024. ICICI Bank and ONGC have rallied 3% each to Rs 1,056 and Rs 1,142, respectively.

SBI and Hindalco have advanced 2% each to Rs 1,701 and Rs 178, respectively.

Larsen & Toubro has gained 1.5% at Rs 3,067. ITC, Reliance Communications and BHEL are up over 1% each at Rs 177, Rs 736 and Rs 2,075, respectively.

Bharti Airtel has plunged 3.3% to Rs 936.

TCS has dropped 2.5% to Rs 1,079, and Satyam has shed 2% at Rs 450.

HDFC, Wipro and Infosys have slipped around 1.5% each to Rs 2,360, Rs 493 and Rs 1,882, respectively.

The market breadth is positive - out of 2,469 stocks traded so far, 1,387 have advanced, 1,008 have declined and 74 are unchanged.