Sensex hits all-time high, Nifty touches new peak in morning trade

Continuing its winning streak, BSE Sensex on Monday morning hit an all-time high by surging over 150 points. The surge was fuelled by healthy buying observed in oil and gas, energy and consumer durables stocks.

The rupee, meanwhile, weakened by 10 paise to 63.94 against the US dollar in early trade on Monday at the interbank foreign exchange on increased demand for the American currency from importers and banks. Forex dealers said the dollar's gains against major world currencies overseas weighed on the rupee sentiment.

The 30-share index rose by 152.43 points, or 0.42 per cent, to hit a new high of 35,664.01, surpassing its previous intra-day record of 35,542.17 hit on Friday (January 19). The 50-share NSE Nifty added 31.75 points, or 0.29 per cent, at 10,926.45 -- a fresh intra-day high. The gauge had hit 10,906.85 during the day on Friday.

Sentiment remained upbeat after Reliance Industries on Friday reported better-than-expected 25.1 per cent jump in Q3 net profit at Rs 9,423 crore. Shares of Reliance Industries was quoting 2.16 per cent higher at Rs 949.45.

ONGC rose the most by 4.86 per cent among Sensex scrips after it got go ahead to acquire the government's entire 51.11 per cent stake in HPCL for Rs 36,915 crore. Other prominent gainers include HDFC Bank, HDFC, Yes Bank, Adani Ports, Coal India, Hero MotoCorp, Tata Motors, Bajaj Auto, Kotak Bank and Power Grid.

Foreign funds bought shares worth Rs 988.25 crore, while domestic institutional investors made purchases worth Rs 209.86 crore on Friday, as per provisional data. In the Asian region, Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.22 per cent, Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.02 per cent, while Japan's Nikkei down 0.20 per cent in their early deals.

The US Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 0.21 per cent higher on Friday. 

(With PTI Inputs)