Special trading session: Markets settle at new closing highs

Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty ended at new closing high levels in the special trading session on Saturday, extending their previous day's sharp rally, amid impressive GDP data and foreign fund inflows.

Leading stock exchanges BSE and NSE conducted a special trading session in the equity and equity derivative segments on Saturday to check their preparedness to handle major disruption or failure at the primary site.

The special live trading session had an intra-day switch over from Primary Site (PR) to Disaster Recovery (DR) site.

The 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 60.80 points or 0.08 per cent to reach its all-time closing high of 73,806.15.

During the trade, the benchmark reached its record peak of 73,994.70, up 249.35 points or 0.33 per cent.

The Nifty went up by 39.65 points or 0.18 per cent to settle at a new closing high of 22,378.40.

During the day, it hit the lifetime peak of 22,419.55, up 80.8 points or 0.36 per cent.

The market capitalisation of BSE-listed companies reached its all-time peak of Rs 394.06 lakh crore.

There were two trading sessions -- the first from 9:15 am to 10 am on the PR, and the second from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm on the DR site, exchanges had announced earlier.

"Trading members are requested to note that the exchange will conduct a special live trading session with intra-day switch over from Primary Site (PR) to Disaster Recovery Site (DR) on Saturday, March 2, in equity and equity derivatives segments," BSE and NSE said in separate circulars.

Among the Sensex firms, Tata Steel, Tata Motors, JSW Steel, Wipro, ITC and Asian Paints were the major gainers.

Mahindra & Mahindra, NTPC, Maruti and UltraTech Cement were among the laggards.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) bought equities worth Rs 128.94 crore on Friday, according to exchange data.

In the broader market, the BSE smallcap gauge climbed 0.70 per cent, and the midcap index went up by 0.67 per cent.

Among the indices, metal jumped 1.44 per cent, consumer durables climbed 0.95 per cent, realty (0.90 per cent) and healthcare (0.75 per cent), emerging as the major gainers.

Bankex emerged as the only laggard.