Benchmark Nifty ended today's session with a modest gain of 59 points on robust fag-end buying in FMCG, energy, pharma, banking and finance service counters despite weak global cues.
Investors digested the US Federal Reserve's decision of raising interest rates for the third time this year, underlining the confidence that the US remains on solid footing.
Caution prevailed for the larger part of the trading session ahead of exit poll results of the assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.
Overseas, European stocks edged lower ahead of the European Central Bank (ECB) meeting today.
Most Asian stocks declined. US stocks rose yesterday, with the Dow posting a record closing, after the Federal Reserve hiked interest rates.
The NSE Nifty opened higher at 10,229.30 and moved in a range of 10,276.10 and 10,141.55,before ending at 10,252.10, up by 59.15 points, or 0.58 per cent.
It saw an intra-day movement of about 134.55 points.
On the sectoral front, FMCG rose by 0.85 per cent, followed by Energy 0.79 per cent, Pharma 0.76 per cent, Bank 0.67 per cent, Private Bank 0.65 per cent, Finance Service 0.60 per cent, PSU Bank 0.35 per cent, Realty 0.32 per cent, Auto 0.28 per cent, Metal 0.21 per cent and IT 0.21 per cent.
Media was the lone loser by 0.26 per cent.
Major index gainers were HPCL, Cipla, Dr Reddy's, Tech Mahindra, ITC, HCL Tech, M&M, BPCL and Axis Bank.
Losers included TCS, UPL, GAIL, Aurobindo Pharma, Sun Pharma, Ultratech Cement, Coal India and Ambuja Cement.
The market breadth, indicating its overall health, was in favour of losers. On the NSE, 647 stocks advanced, 1,106 declined and 61 remained unchanged.
Total securities that hit their price bands were 158.
Turnover in the cash segment fell to Rs 25,347.58 crore from Rs 27,652.55 crore as on Wednesday.
A total of 12,027.55 lakh shares changed hands in 9,529,301 trades. The market capitalisation of listed firms on the NSE stood at Rs 1,43,30,903.26 crore.
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