BIGGEST-EVER RALLY: Sensex zooms 894pts

The Sensex opened with a positive gap of 302 points at 19,337 on the back of smart gains in the global markets. Unabated buying in the market saw the index rally to higher levels as the day progressed.

The Sensex touched a high of 19,988, and finally settled with a huge gain of 894 points (4.7%) at 19,929 - the biggest-ever single-day gain in absoule terms for the index. Adding the 300-point gain yesterday, the index has nearly regained the 1,200 points it had lost in six sessions till Monday.

The BSE Bankex and the Oil & Gas indices soared 6.5% each to 11,226 and 12,139, respectively. The IT index zoomed 4.5% to 4280, and the Metal index gained 4% at 17,756.

The market breadth was fairly positive - out of 2,849 stocks traded, 2,025 advanced, 763 declined and 61 were unchanged today.

Domestic institutions were big buyers in the cash market today with net investment of Rs 567 crore

BIG MOVERS...

All index stocks ended with gains today.

HDFC Bank zoomed nearly 11% to 1,749. ICICI Bank soared nearly 9% to Rs 1,278.

Reliance, Hindalco and Wipro surged around 7% each to Rs 2,888, Rs 218 and Rs 471, respectively.

HDFC rallied 6.5% to Rs 2,756. Satyam and Infosys gained 5% each at Rs 431 and Rs 1,706, respectively.

ONGC moved up over 4% to Rs 1,235.

Reliance Energy, TCS, BHEL and Maruti added 3.5% each to Rs 1,920, Rs 983, Rs 2,874 and Rs 1,039, respectively.

Bharti Airtel, Grasim and Tata Steel advanced over 3% each to Rs 860, Rs 3,668 and Rs 858, respectively.

VALUE & VOLUME TOPPERS

Reliance Petroleum topped the value chart with a turnover of Rs 678.80 crore followed by Reliance (Rs 541.70 crore), Reliance Natural Resources (Rs 344.25 crore), Reliance Energy (Rs 239 crore) and Essar Oil (Rs 205.50 crore).

Reliance Petroleum led the volume chart with trades of around 3.07 crore shares followed by Reliance Natural Resources (2 crore), Ispat Industries (2 crore), Essar Oil (1.88 crore) and Facor Steels (1.38 crore).