Markets Hit new 52-week highs

Indian markets hit new 52-week highs on first day calendar year and ended on a positive note led by auto, metals and FMCG stocks. Broader markets continued to outperform the benchmarks.

Bombay Stock Exchange’s Sensex ended at 17,561.84, up 97.03 points or 0.56 %. The index touched a new 52-week high of 17582.84 and low of 17378.38.

National Stock Exchange’s Nifty closed at 5235.65, up 34.60 points or 0.67 %. The index touched 52-week high of 5238.45 and low of 5167.10.

BSE Mid-cap Index was up 1.61% and BSE Small-cap Index moved 1.63 % higher.

Amongst the sectoral indices, BSE Metal Index moved 1.93% higher, BSE Auto Index was up 1.90% and BSE FMCG Index advanced 1.30%. BSE Oil&gas Index was down 0.17%.

Biggest Sensex gainers were ACC (5.39%), Jaiprakash Associates (4.73%), Tata Motors (4.72%), Mahindra & Mahindra (4.38%) and Tata Steel (3.03%).

Mahindra & Mahindra’s sales advanced 114.8% to 24,001 units in December 2009 over December 2008.

Jaiprakash Associates’ cement shipments rose 60% from a year earlier to 1.06 million tonnes in December.

Tata Motors reported over 100% growth in its sales during the month of December 2009. The company sold 51,627 vehicles compared to 25,219 vehicles during the same period last year. The company's domestic sales of Tata commercial and passenger vehicles for December 2009 were 48,173 units registering a growth of 102 per cent as compared to over 23,894 units sold in December 2008.

NTPC (-1.61%), Reliance Industries (-1.25%), Bharti Airtel (-1.08%) and Maruti Suzuki (-0.81%) were the only losers.

Shares of Reliance Industries were witnessing selling pressure after the company sold around 25 million treasury shares to LIC in block deals on the BSE and NSE.

Market breadth on BSE showed 2137 advances against 742 declines.