Sensex keeps up rising tempo

The BSE benchmark Sens*x on Friday rose further by over 228 points as long-term investors looked to enter the market after it dropped 5.7 pc over the past three weeks.

The Sens*x, which gained 202 points in the previous day's trading, added another 228.51 points at 15,240.83 as general investors joined the fund-based rally, purchasing fundamentally strong shares at attractive levels.

The key index touched the day's high of 15,275.17 and a low of 14,835.08. Among the 30 BSE Sens*x stocks, HDFC Bank ended with moderate losses.

Similarly, the wide-based 50-share National Stock Exchange index Nifty rose 75.35 points to 4,528.80 after moving between 4,538.70 and 4,400.90 during the session.

Market sentiment stayed buoyant because of firm trends in Chinese equity markets, as investors judged that any recovery in global economies might begin with the world's most populous country, brokers said.

The realty sector index gained the most, rising 3.48 per cent to 3,868.14, as all the 14 kitty stocks recorded gains led by DLF Ltd and Indiabulls Realestate.

The Indiabulls Realestate stock surged 9.02 per cent to Rs 255.60 following reports of the company winning a project to redo Mantralaya in Mumbai's Nariman Point. DLF Ltd shot up by 2.04 per cent to Rs 782.20 on reports that the company won the bid for India s largest land sale in Gurgaon.

The auto sector index was the second-best performer by gaining 2.27 per cet to 5,537.94, as segment major Hero Honda Motors shot up 4.84 per cent to Rs 1,480.55 and Mahindra and Mahindra by 3.58 per cent to Rs 801.75.

The teck index gained 1.96 per cent to 2,908.49, IT 1.85 per cent to 3,954.18, banking 1.76 per cent to 8,287.61, and oil and gas 1.60 per cent to 9,500.59.

Capital goods, metals, PSU, healthcare and consumer durables indices ended higher on sustained support from investors.

With buying spread widely, the smallcap index rose 1.61 per cent to 6462.98 and the midcap index 1.50 per cent to 5,559.32.