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Sensex zooms 106.57 points, Natex up 50.63 points

BSE vice-president Rajendra Banthia said that the FIIs invested particularly in software as the commerce minister has shifted 340 items to the open general license and kept the target of export to 20 per cent during the current financial year. This changed the sentiment of the market which witnessed a one-way trading on the exchange.

Mirroring the uptrend, the BSE-30 Sensitive index crossed two psychological barriers -- 4100 and 4200 -- during intraday trading. The Sensex opened higher at 4119.26 points, touched a day's high of 4213.07 points, and finally closed at 4192.50 points, showing a net gain of 106.57 points compared to the previous close of 4085.93 points.

Banthia also said the decision of the Unit Trust of India, a leading domestic institution, to raise funds from the public to invest in the 'B1' and 'B2' groups shares also helped change the sentiment in the capital market.

He further said that bullish trend will continue till the general budget and the Sensex will touch 4500 mark. Marketmen expect some sop in the Budget, and if so, the market will improve further, he added.

The FIIs bought heavily at ICICI, Bajaj Auto and BHEL counters in the specified counters and software counters on other groups, leading brokers added.

The BSE-100 National index also crossed 1800 mark and finished at 1844.54 points, showing a net gain of 50.63 points as against the previous close of 1795.17 points.

The BSE-200 and Dollex indices increased by 13.15 and 04.87 points to 419.34 and 175.90 points as compared last working day's close of 406.19 and 171.03 points respectively.

Reliance Industries Limited chairman Dhirubhai Ambani today announced a 20 per cent increase in capacity of sister concern, Reliance Petroleum Limited's plant at Jamnagar from 15 million to 18 million tonnes per year.

The marketmen said that there was buying support from bull operators at non-specified counters.

The total turnover was Rs 13.8 billion, involving 93.5 million shares in 206,007 trades.

ITC registered highest turnover of Rs 1.97 billion followed by Tata Tea Rs 1.4 billion, RIL Rs 1.1 billion, SBI Rs 1.1 million, ACC Rs 440.5 million, ICICI Rs 439.6 million, Castrol Rs 435.8 million, BHEL Rs 379.1 million, L and T Rs 279.7 million, MTNL Rs 249 million, Satyam Comp Rs 244 million, Bajaj Auto Rs 224.3 million, Hind Lever Rs 219.8 million, TELCO Rs 206.2 million, TISCO Rs 181.8 million in the specified counters.

Good transactions were observed at Reliance Pet Rs 44.1 million, Marico Indus Rs 35.6 million, Videsh Sanch Rs 25.5 million, Cipla Rs 22.7 million, BFL Softwar Rs 22.3 million, Aptech Rs 17.3 million, Software Sol Rs 15.5 million, Bausch and Lomb Rs 15.3 million, Bann Amman Rs 13.4 million, Lakshmi Mach Rs 13.1 million, Max India Rs 12.2 million and Punjab Wirls Rs 11..8 million at 'B1' counters.

Among the gainers, NIIT registered the highest gain of Rs 80 to reach Rs 1203.50, followed by HDFC by Rs 54 to Rs 3315.50, BHEL by Rs 19.50 to Rs 414.50, ITC by Rs 12.25 to Rs 776.25, ACC by Rs 20 to Rs 1540, Bajaj Auto by Rs 10.25 to Rs 620.25, RIL by Rs 6.6 to Rs 198.90, SBI by Rs 7.75 to Rs 302.50, Tata Tea by Rs 9 to Rs 429.50.

However, Hindustan Lever lost by Rs 1.75 to 1606.25.

UNI