Sensex gains around 150 points; Infosys shares rise

Reuters Market Eye - The benchmark BSE Sensex rises as software services exporters lead gains after Wall Street hit a record high on strong data from the holiday shopping season and a fall in initial jobless claims. The Sensex was trading up 153 points while the Nifty gained 43 points as of 1.46 pm.

Recent data continues to point to a sturdier U.S. economy, further brightening the outlook for India's export-dependant IT sector.

Infosys Ltd gains 1.2 percent to 3,563 rupees.

Tata Consultancy Services Ltd rises 2.8 percent to 2,160 rupees.

Blue chip stocks also extend gains, after foreign institutional investors were net buyers of 7.44 billion rupees in Indian shares on Thursday, bringing their monthly total so far to around $2.5 billion.

 

Housing Development Finance Corp gains 1.1 percent, while Larsen & Toubro Ltd is up 0.6 percent.

(Reporting by Indulal PM)