Sensex up 83pts; breadth fairly +ve

The Sensex is now up 83 points at 18,820.

HDFC has soared 3% to Rs 2,587. HDFC Bank and NTPC have surged 2.5% each to Rs 1,513 and Rs 260, respectively.

Larsen & Toubro has moved up 1.7% to Rs 4,240, and Reliance Communications has added 1.5% at Rs 706.

Reliance Energy is up over 1% at Rs 1,840.

Wipro has tumbled 3% to Rs 444. Mahindra & Mahindra has shed 2% at Rs 714, and ITC has slipped 1.8% to Rs 175.

Infosys, ICICI Bank and TCS are down over 1% each at Rs 1,623, Rs 1,134 and Rs 953, respecively.

The market breadth is fairly positive - out of 2,586 stocks traded so far, 1,760 have advanced, 765 have declined and 61 are unchanged.