The Nifty and the Sensex ended the session marginally in the green with market-men getting circumspect ahead of RBI’s monetary policy review statement on Tuesday.
The 30-share BSE index Sensex was up 49.35 points or 0.22 per cent at 22,389.32 and the 50-share NSE index Nifty was up 5.45 points or 0.08 per cent at 6,701.35.
Among BSE sectoral indices, metal gained the most by 3.87 per cent, followed by realty 2.83 per cent and consumer durables 2.62 per cent. On the other hand, FMCG index was down 0.64 per cent, followed by power 0.6 per cent and capital goods 0.47 per cent.
Hindalco, Tata Steel, RIL, SSLT and Maruti were the top five Sensex gainers, while the top five losers were ONGC, Dr Reddy's, Tata Power, ITC and L&T.
A report by Equentis Capital said: “Slowing inflation & positive IIP has increased the probability of rate cut from RBI in near term. RBI’s rate cut could lead the market and banking sector into a fresh buying zone.Auto stocks will be in focus as companies from this sector will start reporting sales volume data for March 2014 starting Tuesday, April 1, 2014. PSU OMCs (state-run oil marketing companies) will review the fuel prices on April 1, 2014 based on the average imported oil price in the previous fortnight.”
In the opening trade, the Sensex rose 124.89 points or 0.55 per cent to trade at an all-time high of 22,464.86, surpassing its previous intra-day record high of 22,363.97 reached on March 28.
Similarly, the 50-share NSE index Nifty too scaled a new high of 6,728.85 by gaining 32.95 points or 0.49 per cent.
Stocks climbed around the world, led by a fifth day of gains in Europe, as Treasuries fell and the yen weakened.