Sensex hits 37,000 mark; Nifty tops 11,100

The BSE Sensex hit the 37,000 level for the first time on Thursday on widespread buying in capital goods, FMCG, realty and banking stocks amid heavy buying by domestic institutional investors and positive global cues.

NSE Nifty too touched a new peak of 11,172.20.

Short-covering of bets, on Thursday being the last session of July expiry in the derivatives segment, and strengthening rupee against the dollar, kept the overall market sentiment high.

The 30-share index crossed the 37,000-mark by jumping 156.42 points, or 0.42 per cent, to 37,014.65 in early trade on Thursday, breaching its previous intra-day record of 36,947.18 hit on Wednesday.

Strong gains in capital goods, FMCG, realty, banking, PSU, auto, healthcare, infrastructure, consumer durables and oil and gas stocks helped the index top the new milestone.

The NSE Nifty spurted 40.20 points, or 0.36 per cent, to hit a new peak of 11,172.20, surpassing its previous (intra-day) record of 11,171.55 hit on January 29.

Analysts said strong liquidity in the market following unabated buying by domestic institutional investors (DIIs) and encouraging Q1 earnings by some companies lifted the mood.

On a net basis, DIIs bought shares worth Rs 97.64 crore while foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares worth Rs 1,195.75 crore on Wednesday, provisional data showed.

Top gainers that helped Sensex scale its new peak were SBI, Bharti Airtel, Tata Motors, ITC, Coal India, L&T, ONGC, HDFC Bank, RIL, Maruti, M&M, Bajaj Auto, IndusInd Bank, Kotak Bank and HDFC, rising up to 1.79 per cent.

While, Asian Paints, Hero MotoCorp, Wipro and Infosys were among the top losers, shedding up to 1 per cent.

Asian stocks climbed tracking gains in US shares. US equities advanced on Wednesday, after US President Donald Trump reached an agreement with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker aimed at averting a transatlantic trade war.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was up 0.56 per cent, Japan’s Nikkei gained 0.02 per cent in early deals.

Shanghai Composite Index, however, shed 0.01 per cent.

The US Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 0.68 per cent higher on Wednesday.