India stocks higher at close of trade; Nifty 50 up 0.32%

Investing.com – India stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Public Sector Undertakings, Oil&Gas and Power sectors led shares higher.

At the close in NSE, the Nifty 50 rose 0.32%, while the BSE Sensex 30 index gained 0.32%.

The best performers of the session on the Nifty 50 were Mahindra&Mahindra Ltd. (NS:MAHM), which rose 6.52% or 108.00 points to trade at 1,765.05 at the close. Meanwhile, Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd. (NS:BPCL) added 4.67% or 29.10 points to end at 652.75 and NTPC Ltd (NS:NTPC) was up 3.43% or 11.25 points to 339.25 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Axis Bank Ltd (NS:AXBK), which fell 2.25% or 24.65 points to trade at 1,072.20 at the close. Apollo Hospitals Enterprises Ltd. (NS:APLH) declined 1.87% or 126.50 points to end at 6,627.60 and ITC Ltd (NS:ITC) was down 1.86% or 7.65 points to 403.90.

The top performers on the BSE Sensex 30 were Mahindra&Mahindra Ltd. (BO:MAHM) which rose 6.51% to 1,765.55, NTPC Ltd (BO:NTPC) which was up 3.58% to settle at 339.65 and Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (BO:PGRD) which gained 2.79% to close at 281.50.

The worst performers were Axis Bank Ltd. (BO:AXBK) which was down 2.11% to 1,072.60 in late trade, ITC Ltd (BO:ITC) which lost 1.85% to settle at 404.00 and Hindustan Unilever Ltd. (BO:HLL) which was down 1.58% to 2,351.10 at the close.

Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the India National Stock Exchange by 1348 to 785 and 40 ended unchanged; on the Bombay Stock Exchange, 2245 rose and 1463 declined, while 77 ended unchanged.

Shares in Mahindra&Mahindra Ltd. (NS:MAHM) rose to all time highs; gaining 6.52% or 108.00 to 1,765.05. Shares in Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd. (NS:BPCL) rose to all time highs; up 4.67% or 29.10 to 652.75. Shares in NTPC Ltd (NS:NTPC) rose to all time highs; up 3.43% or 11.25 to 339.25. Shares in Mahindra&Mahindra Ltd. (BO:MAHM) rose to all time highs; gaining 6.51% or 107.95 to 1,765.55. Shares in NTPC Ltd (BO:NTPC) rose to all time highs; rising 3.58% or 11.75 to 339.65. Shares in Hindustan Unilever Ltd. (BO:HLL) fell to 52-week lows; falling 1.58% or 37.85 to 2,351.10.

The India VIX, which measures the implied volatility of Nifty 50 options, was down 1.36% to 15.23.

Gold Futures for April delivery was up 0.20% or 3.95 to $2,008.25 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in March fell 0.59% or 0.45 to hit $76.19 a barrel, while the April Brent oil contract fell 0.54% or 0.44 to trade at $81.16 a barrel.

USD/INR was unchanged 0.01% to 83.04, while EUR/INR rose 0.07% to 89.13.

The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.09% at 104.52.