Sensex on Friday closed 148 points up at 27,957.50 after briefly staying above the psychological 28K-level on better-than-estimated corporate earnings and firm Asian cues.
Similarly, the broader 50-issue CNX Nifty rallied to a high of 8,489.55, just ten points shy from 8,500-mark, before settling at 8,458.95. IT, pharma, capital goods, refinery and tech counters attracted heavy buying while shares of consumer durable, banking, realty and metal sectors witnessed profit-booking.
The 30-share barometer moved in a range of 28,071.16 and 27,828.61 before ending at 27,957.50 -- a level not seen since April 17, 2015 when it had settled at 28,442.10 -- showing a rise of 148.15 points or 0.53 per cent.
HDFC was the top gainer from the 30-share Sensex pack with a rise of 2.51 per cent while TCS came in second with a surge of 2.42 per cent.
Shares of banking giant SBI reacted downwards after initial smart gains on profit-booking despite the lender reporting better-than-expected fourth quarter earnings.