Sensex up 131 pts on global cues

Mumbai, Dec 2 (PTI) Extending its gains for the third
day in a row, the Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark index,
Sensex, rose over 131 points in opening trade Wednesday, with
shares of auto sector leading the rally, on continued foreign
capital inflows amid firm global cues.
Sentiments were also bolstered by robust auto sales,
higher cement shipments and strong September quarter GDP data.
The 30-share BSE Sensex rose 131.41 points, or 0.76 per
cent, to 17,329.68 points in early trade with most of the
sectoral indices trading in positive zone.
The wide-based National Stock Exchange index, Nifty,
rose 39.75 points, or 0.77 per cent, to 5,161.75 points.
Brokers said market sentiments were bullish on the back
of continued buying by foreign funds on strong global cues and
better-than-expected GDP data for September quarter. Also, the
good sales figures for November posted by the auto industry
and higher despatches by the cement makers pepped up the
market mood. The GDP for the second quarter of this fiscal
stood at 7.9 per cent.
Stocks of country's most-valued firm RIL gained 0.26 per
cent at Rs 1,100.70. Among auto stocks, Tata Motors surged
2.25 per cent to Rs 716.50 and Maruti Suzuki 1.79 per cent to
Rs 1,616.50. Other gainers were Sterlite Industries up by 1.02
per cent to Rs 894 and Tata Steel 1.09 per cent to Rs 588.35.
In morning trade, Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 1.17 per
cent, while Japan's Nikkei gained 0.38 per cent. The US Dow
Jones Industrial Average had ended 1.23 per cent higher
Tuesday. PTI SUN
RDM