Sensex closes at record high

A benchmark index of Indian equities markets closed at a record high of 21,338 points Wednesday on healthy buying in pharmaceuticals and metal stocks.

The 30-scrip S&P Sensex of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 21,251.65 points, closed at 21,337.67 points, up 86.55 points or 0.41 percent from its previous day's close at 21,251.12 points.The Sensex touched a high of 21,377.91 points and a low of 21,168.43 intra-day.

This is the record closing high for the benchmark Sensex. The previous record high was 21,326.42 points which was reached on Dec 9, 2013, after results of five state assembly elections were announced.

The wider 50-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) closed trade 25.15 points or 0.40 percent up at 6,338.95 points.Healthy buying support was observed in healthcare, metal and oil and gas. However, capital goods and fat moving consumer goods (FMCG) stocks declined. 

In Wednesday's trade, the S&P BSE healthcare index was up 133.41 points followed by metal index was higher by 90.89 points and oil and gas index gained 65.42 points.However, the S&P capital goods index was up 51.09 points and FMCG index gained 9.54 points.

The major gainers were: Sun Pharma, up 2.85 percent at Rs.597.45; Tata Steel, up 2.28 percent at Rs.392.45; Hindalco Inds, up 2.04 percent at Rs.115.10; Bharti Airtel, up 1.56 percent at Rs.309.75; and NTPC, up 1.38 percent at Rs.132.55.

The main losers were: State Bank Of India (SBI), down 0.77 percent at Rs.1,645.75; larsen and Toubro (l&T), down 0.65 percent at Rs.1,004.75; Hero MotoCorp, down 0.57 percent at Rs.2,059.75; ITC, down 0.49 percent at Rs.327.40; and BHEl, down 0.47 percent at Rs.169.35.

Among the Asian markets, Japan's Nikkei closed 0.16 percent up, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.21 percent. China's Shanghai Composite Index was higher by 2.16 percent. 

In Europe, london's FTSE 100 was trading 0.10 percent down. However, Germany's DAX Index was lower by 0.18 percent and the French CAC 40 Index fell by 0.19 percent.