Fresh buying in index pivotals pushed the key benchmark indices to fresh intraday high in morning trade. At 10:29 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 162.79 points or 0.48% at 34,010.82. The Nifty 50 index was up 44.50 points or 0.42% at 10,522.40. The Sensex nudged past the psychological 34,000 mark in morning trade. Capital goods stocks rose. Cement stocks gained.
Trading for last session of 2017 began on positive note.
Among secondary indices, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index rose 0.84%. The S&P BSE Small-Cap index gained 0.69%. Both these indices outperformed the Sensex.
The breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was strong. On the BSE, 1,571 shares rose and 678 shares fell. A total of 168 shares were unchanged.
Overseas, most Asian stocks were trading higher after Wall Street finished with modest gains. South Korean markets were closed today, 29 December 2017. US stocks rose yesterday, 28 December 2017, with the Dow Jones industrial average closing at a record high buoyed mostly by gains in bank shares and a slight pick up in energy and materials.
In US economic data, the advance trade deficit in goods increased to $69.7 billion in November from $68.1 billion in October. The purchasing managers index for Chicago showed a rise of 67.6 in December from 63.9 in the previous month. Any reading above 50 indicates expansion.
In Europe, Italy's President Sergio Mattarella dissolved parliament yesterday, 28 December 2017 and called elections for early March 2018, a vote that will highlight the economic and political problems still stalking Europe and the country's role as the weakest flank in the currency union.
Back home, Asian Paints (up 1.93%), Axis Bank (up 1.29%) and Hero MotoCorp (up 1.16%) edged higher from the Sensex pack.
Capital goods stocks rose. Bharat Electronics (up 1.24%), L&T (up 0.62%), Siemens (up 0.03%), ABB India (up 0.48%), Punj Lloyd (up 0.85%), Bhel (up 0.87%), Thermax (up 0.34%) and BEML (up 0.68%) edged higher.
Cement stocks gained. Ambuja Cements (up 1.01%), Grasim Industries (up 0.94%), UltraTech Cement (up 0.94%), ACC (up 0.55%) and Shree Cement (up 0.63%) rose.
Jindal Worldwide rose 0.7% after the company said that its board considered the disposal of entire investment of the company held in its associate company, Jindal Synthetics, by way of sale of its equity shares. Consequently, Jindal Synthetics is no longer an associate company of Jindal Worldwide with effect from 23 December 2017. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 28 December 2017.
GTPL Hathway rose 4.44% after the company said that its board approved acquisition of remaining 49% stake in GTPL Surat Telelink, making it a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company. The board also approved acquisition of further 23.50% stake in GTPL Ahmedabad Cable Network, a subsidiary of the company in which the company presently holds 51% equity shares. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 28 December 2017.
Among macro economic data, India's infrastructure output data for the month of November 2017 will be released today, 29 December 2017. Infrastructure output in India increased 4.7% year-on-year in October of 2017, following a downwardly revised 4.7% rise in the previous month.
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