Sensex, Nifty at fresh peaks

Mumbai : Benchmark BSE Sensex jumped 384 points to close at a new all-time high on Monday, driven by gains in energy, select banking and auto shares amid continued optimism over the US Fed rate cut and positive Asian markets.

Rallying for the third day running, the 30-share BSE Sensex jumped 384.30 points, or 0.45 per cent, to settle at an all-time high of 84,928.61. During the day, it soared 436.22 points, or 0.51 per cent, to hit a fresh lifetime intra-day peak of 84,980.53. NSE Nifty rose 148.10 points, or 0.57 per cent, to close at a record peak of 25,939.05. During the day, it zoomed 165.05 points, or 0.63 per cent, to reach a new intra-day all-time high of 25,956.

“The euphoria from the FED rate cut continued to lift the domestic market. The benign input costs and an expectation of a change in stance by the RBI amid cuts by global banks will provide tailwinds to valuation. Though there is moderation in India PMI data, investors are anticipating that the wave of liquidity from FII may provide stability in the sentiment,” said Vinod Nair, head (research), Geojit Financial Services.

The BSE midcap and smallcap indices climbed 0.73 per cent each. A total of 2,382 stocks advanced while 1,731 declined and 120 remained unchanged on the BSE.

“The US Federal Reserve's decision to cut rates by 50 basis points signals a shift in global monetary policy, and its ripple effects are felt across global markets, including India,” added Amit Golia, CEO, MarketsMojo Group.

Among indices, oil & gas jumped 2.23 per cent, realty by 2.07 per cent, telecommunication by 1.93 per cent, energy by 1.80 per cent, auto by 1.46 per cent, consumer durables by 1.39 per cent, consumer discretionary by 1.22 per cent and utilities by 0.92 per cent. BSE IT emerged as the only loser.

“The prevailing optimism in global markets is driving the trend, and this is likely to continue in the absence of significant domestic triggers,” said Ajit Mishra, Sr V-P (research), Religare Broking Ltd.

“The charging bull got a shot of steroids from the Fed when it cut interest rates by 50 bps on September 18. More than the rate cut, it was the Fed chief’s optimistic commentary that lifted the markets sharply,” said VK Vijayakumar, chief investment strategist, Geojit Financial Services From the 30 Sensex firms, Mahindra & Mahindra was the biggest gainer, rising by 3.29 per cent. State Bank of India rose by 2.55 per cent, Bharti Airtel by 2.25 per cent and Kotak Bank by 1.71 per cent. Gains HDFC Bank, Reliance Industries and Hindustan Unilever helped the index hit all-time high.