Mumbai: Benchmark domestic equity indices, the Sensex and the Nifty, extended gains for the third consecutive session today. The markets opened lower but quickly recovered to trade in positive territory. Thereafter, the indices oscillated between gains and losses for sometime, weighed down by IT stocks, before edging higher in the last hour of trade. The Sensex added 79 points to close at 83 thousand 818, while the Nifty rose 48 points to settle at 25 thousand 776.
In the Sensex pack, 23 out of the 30 companies logged gains. Among the top performers, Eternal surged over 5.2 per cent, Trent rallied almost five per cent and NTPC climbed over 2.4 per cent. Among the top laggards, Infosys shed 7.2 per cent, TCS dropped more than 6.9 per cent, and HCL Tech fell over 4.2 per cent.
In the sectoral indices at the BSE, 19 out of 22 sectors ended in the positive zone. Among the gainers, Utilities rose over 2.7 per cent, while Oil and Gas and Consumer Durables jumped around 2.4 per cent, and Power added nearly 2.2 per cent. The major drag was IT, which slumped five and a half per cent, followed by Focused IT, which tanked over five per cent, and Healthcare, which dipped over 0.1 per cent.
The overall market breadth at the BSE was positive, as shares of 2 thousand and 726 companies advanced, 1 thousand and 477 shares declined, and 163 remained unchanged.
