Indices end higher on SBI, ITC support

Equities ended higher Thursday led by automobile and banking stocks. FMCG majors Hindustan Unilever and ITC also pushed indices higher.

The National Stock Exchange’s Nifty closed at 4518.60, up 43 points or 0.96 per cent from the pervious close.

The Bombay Stock Exchange’s Sensex finished 170 points or 1.1 per cent higher at 15,616.31.

Biggest Sensex gainers were Reliance Energy (up 4.5%), Grasim Industries (3.97%), Ranbaxy Laboratories (3.53%), HDFC (2.82%), State Bank of India (2.35%) and Ambuja Cements (2.10%).

Hindalco Industries (down 1.27%) and Bharti Airtel (0.23%) were the only losers on the 30-share index.

The market breadth on BSE showed 1683 advances and 1015 declines, while on NSE, 730 shares advanced and 433 declined.