Mumbai, March 18: Continuing its winning streak for the third straight session, the Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex gained nearly 54 points, or 0.30 per cent, in the opening trade today on more capital inflows by foreign funds, driven by a firming global trend.
The 30-share index, which had gathered nearly 325 points in the past two sessions, rose by 53.99 points, or 0.30 per cent to 17,544.07 points in the opening trade with all the sectoral indices trading in the positive zone.
The wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty also rose by 14.30 points, or 0.27 per cent to 5,246.20 points.
Stock brokers said sentiments were largely buoyed by a firming trend in global markets following the US stocks’ surge to a 17—month high, triggering buying by funds and retail investors.
Among gainers Infosys Technologies was up 0.72 per cent at Rs 2,759, ICICI Bank 0.45 per cent to Rs 953.40, Bharti Airtel 1.63 per cent to Rs 302.80, ACC 0.33 per cent to Rs 969.75, HDFC Ltd 0.25 per cent to Rs 2,735, Hindalco 0.35 per cent to Rs 174.15, Tata Steel 0.27 per cent to Rs 634.60 and Rcom 0.43 per cent to Rs 161.70.
The US Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.45 per cent in the previous session, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index was also marginally up in the opening trade.
—–PTI