Market benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty rallied in early trade on Thursday, tracking a decline in crude oil prices and a positive trend in Asian equities. The 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 440.23 points to 77,435.76 in early deals, while the 50-share NSE Nifty went up by 137.80 points to 24,147.60.
Top Gainers and Laggards
From the 30-Sensex firms, InterGlobe Aviation, Maruti, Mahindra & Mahindra, UltraTech Cement, State Bank of India and Hindustan Unilever were among the major winners. Power Grid, Titan, Infosys and Bharat Electronics were among the laggards.
Crude Oil Prices Drop
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, traded 1.70 per cent lower at USD 72.49 per barrel, providing a boost to market sentiment.
Asian Markets Mostly Positive
In Asian markets, South Korea's Kospi jumped over 5 per cent, Japan's Nikkei 225 index traded nearly 4 per cent higher and Shanghai's SSE Composite index quoted marginally in the green. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index quoted lower.
US Markets and FII Activity
US markets ended on a subdued note in the previous trade. Foreign Institutional Investors offloaded equities worth Rs 1,843.40 crore on Wednesday, according to exchange data.
