IANS

Mumbai, Jun 3: A key index of the Indian equity markets rose past the 15,000-mark Wednesday morning.

The benchmark index of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), the Sensex, opened at 14,902.62 points and started climbing to breach the 15,000-mark within 10 minutes of opening.

Though it soon slipped back, continued buying interest propped the Sensex up, and it was trading comfortably at 15,036.02 points around 11.00 a.m., 161.11 points or 1.08 percent higher than its previous close.

The S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) gained too, moving up more than 1 percent after opening to rule at 4,571.55 points around the same time, 1.02 percent higher than the last close at 4,525.25.

Broader market indices did better, with the BSE midcap index ruling 2.22 percent higher than its previous close, while the BSE smallcap index was up 2.9 percent.

Of the 13 sectoral indices on the BSE, the indices for PSU stocks were under pressure, while consumer durables and metal stocks were on the gaining side.

The market breadth was positive, with 1,987 stocks advancing, 465 declining and 43 remaining unchanged.

Among gainers on the Sensex at this time were Tata Motors, up 7.52 percent at Rs.357.40; Hindalco, up 5.41 percent at Rs.92.55; Reliance Communications, up 4.99 percent at Rs.335.30; and Sterlite, up 3.91 percent at Rs.717.50.

There were only five losers on the Sensex at this time: M&M, down 1.49 percent at Rs.714.60; SBI, down 0.76 percent at Rs.1,895; ONGC, down 0.69 percent at Rs.1,159.10; Maruti Suzuki, down 0.51 percent at Rs.1,026.55 and HDFC, down 0.21 percent at Rs.2,390.

Other Asian markets were trading mixed, with a key index of the Tokyo stock exchange, Nikkei 225 Stock Average, inching upwards from its last close to 9,756.54 points, 52.23 points higher than its last close.

On the other hand, the Hang Seng, a primary index of the Hong Kong stock exchange, was 419.69 points up at 18,808.77 points.

Major US stock indices posted gains Tuesday amid improving housing figures, but financial stocks fell amid some new share offerings by top Wall Street firms.

The blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 19.43 points, or 0.22 percent, to 8,740.87 points, while the broader Standard and Poor's 500 Index edged up 1.87 points, or 0.2 percent, to 944.74.

The technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index rose 8.12 points, or 0.44 percent, to 1,836.80