By Manoj Dharra
MUMBAI (Reuters) - The BSE Sensex rose to its highest close in about a month on Friday as lenders such as HDFC Bank
The Sensex posted its biggest weekly gain since November 30, 2012, after rising for a fourth consecutive session, in what has been a sharp turnaround of fortunes since the index touched a three-month low last week.
The rally has eased some of the broad disappointment over the spending-heavy 2013/14 budget unveiled last week, as domestic markets track a global risk rally that sent the Dow Jones Industrial Average to record highs ahead of U.S. monthly employment data due later in the day.
Investors in India expect the Reserve Bank of India to cut interest rates on March 19 to bolster growth, although industrial output and inflation data next week will be key in setting those expectations.
Also Read
"Broadly inflation and IIP should be in line with market expectation at least for this month," Kaushik Dani, a fund manager at Peerless Mutual Fund, said.
Weak quarterly GDP numbers at 4.5 percent also make a strong case for softening of rates, Dani added.
The Sensex rose 1.4 percent, or 269.69 points, to end at 19,683.23, the highest close since February 2. The index rose 4 percent for the week, its biggest weekly gain this year.
The Nifty rose 1.41 percent, or 82.40 points, to end at 5,945.70, adding 3.95 percent this week.
HDFC Bank gained 2.42 percent while mortgage lender HDFC Ltd
Oil and Natural Gas Corp Ltd
Oil India
Shares in Jet Airways
However, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd
Technology shares fell on profit-taking. Infosys
Multi Commodity Exchange of India Ltd
Dealers said share sales were expected given the one-year lock-in period for pre-initial public offering investors ended on Thursday.
(Additional reporting by Abhishek Vishnoi; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)