Sensex opens over 250 pts higher; Nifty tops 9,200

Mumbai: Equity benchmark Sensex opened over 250 points higher on Thursday tracking gains in banking, energy and IT stocks amid positive cues from global markets.

After hitting a high of 31,646.45, the 30-share index was trading 123.31 points or 0.39 per cent higher at 31,502.86.

Similarly, the NSE Nifty advanced 30.40 points, or 0.33 per cent, to 9,217.70.

ONGC was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, surging up to 3 per cent, followed by Tata Steel, ICICI Bank, Kotak Bank, TCS and L&T.

On the other hand, Titan, M&M, Maruti, PowerGrid, Tech Mahindra and HDFC Bank were among the laggards.

In the previous session, the BSE barometer ended 742.84 points or 2.42 per cent higher at 31,379.55, while the Nifty surged 205.85 points, or 2.29 per cent, to finish at 9,187.30.

Foreign portfolio investors were net sellers in the capital market on Wednesday, as they offloaded equity shares worth Rs 1,326.09 crore, according to provisional exchange data.

Domestic market opened on a positive note as global stocks rose amid recovery in crude prices, traders said.

Bourses in Hong Kong, Tokyo and Seoul were trading with gains in early deals, while those in Shanghai slipped in the red.

On Wall Street, key indices recovered up to 2 per cent in overnight session.

Global oil benchmark Brent crude futures advanced 3.16 per cent to USD 21.02 per barrel.

However, traders said concerns over COVID-19 pandemic kept investors cautious.

The death toll due to the pandemic rose to 681, while the number of cases in the country climbed to 21,393.

Global tally of the infections has crossed 26 lakh, with over 1.83 lakh deaths.

PTI