Market ends higher despite CRR hike

The Sensex opened with a positive gap of 130 points at 16,611. The index moved in a narrow range of 169 points - low of 16,611, and a high of 16,779.

The Sensex finally ended with a gain of 258 points at 16,739.

The market breadth was extremely positive - out of 2,772 stocks traded, 2,050 advanced, 674 declined and the rest were unchanged today.

The NSE Nifty gained 79 points to close at 5,037.

INDEX MOVERS...

Tata Steel soared 8.6% to Rs 777. Jaiprakash Associates surged 7.3% to Rs 233.

Reliance Communications rallied 5.5% to Rs 559. Ranbaxy and Bharti Airtel moved up nearly 4% each to Rs 499 and Rs 854, respectively.

HDFC Bank, SBI and ICICI Bank advanced 3.5% each to Rs 1,445, Rs 1,741 and Rs 864, respectively.

Hindalco and Grasim gained 3% each at Rs 192 and Rs 2,644, respectively.

NTPC and Larsen & Toubro added 2.5% each to Rs 194 and Rs 2,845, respectively.

Cipla gained 1.7% at Rs 226. Hindustan Unilever and ONGC were up 1.5% each at Rs 236 and Rs 1,031, respectively.

...AND THE SHAKERS

Satyam slipped over 2% to Rs 459. Infosys and Wipro declined over 1% each to Rs 1,645 and Rs 454, respectively.

VALUE & VOLUME TOPPERS

Debutant Titagarh Wagons topped the value chart with a turnover of Rs 367 crore followed by Orchid Chemicals (Rs 289.50 crore), Reliance (Rs 172.80 crore), Essar Oil (Rs 134 crore) and Reliance Capital (Rs 128.35 crore).

Ispat Industries led the volume chart with trades of around 1.85 crore shares followed by Sita Shree Foods (1.33 crore), Orchid Chemicals (1.14 crore), Centurion Bank of Punjab (1.10 crore) and Tata Teleservices (1.08 crore).