The NSE benchmark Nifty advanced over 33 points to close at a fresh lifetime high of 20,103 while Sensex ticked higher for the tenth straight session on Thursday, helped by fag-end buying in oil & gas, metal and commodity stocks amid a largely firm trend in global equities.
After swinging between gains and losses throughout the session, the 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 52.01 points or 0.08 per cent to settle at 67,519. During the session, it jumped 304.06 points or 0.45 per cent to hit its all-time intra-day high of 67,771.05.
In the past 10 sessions, the BSE index has jumped 2,687.59 points or 4.14 per cent.
The Nifty advanced 33.10 points or 0.16 per cent to end at its all-time closing high of 20,103.10. During the day, it gained 97.65 points or 0.48 per cent to reach its lifetime intra-day peak of 20,167.65.
“While the north-bound journey continued the uptick lacked the firepower as seen in recent sessions as valuations are becoming expensive and investors are taking a cautious route.
Rising global crude oil prices are also making investors jittery as this could stoke inflation and force central banks worldwide to maintain the rate hike regime.
“Despite early volatility and a range-bound trend thereafter, metals, oil & gas and realty shares sparkled, indicating that traders are willing to take selective bets,” Shrikant Chouhan, Head of Research (Retail), Kotak Securities Ltd, said.
Mahindra & Mahindra was the biggest gainer on the Sensex chart, rising 2.56 per cent, followed by Tata Steel, Tech Mahindra, Nestle, Power Grid, Infosys, HCL Technologies, Axis Bank, UltraTech Cement and L&T.
In contrast, Asian Paints, ITC, Bajaj Finserv, Bharti Airtel and Tata Motors were among the laggards.
In the broader market, the BSE smallcap gauge jumped 1.15 per cent, and midcap index gained 1.02 per cent.
All the indices ended in the green, with realty climbing 1.47 per cent, oil & gas jumping 1.40 per cent, metal (1.39 per cent), commodities (1.09 per cent), auto (0.94 per cent), utilities (0.92 per cent), energy (0.82 per cent) and services (0.80 per cent).