17:38
Stock market benchmark indices ended on a mixed note on Thursday, with the Sensex climbing 374 points and the Nifty closing flat, drawing support from moderation in crude oil prices and buying in heavyweights Reliance Industries and ICICI Bank.
After starting the session on a positive note, the 30-share BSE Sensex remained in the positive territory throughout the day. It climbed 373.76 points, or 0.48 percent, to settle at 78,954.76.
The 50-share NSE Nifty traded in a narrow range for the day and edged marginally higher by 11.35 points, or 0.05 percent, to end at 24,636. During the day, the benchmark hit a high of 24,677.05 and a low of 24,604.15.
Since Monday, both the benchmark indices have been facing divergence after stock exchanges introduced a new auction mechanism for shares having futures and options (F&O) contracts.
The Closing Auction Session (CAS) in the equity cash segment became operational on Monday, introducing a new auction-based mechanism for determining the closing prices of eligible stocks in a move aimed at making the price discovery process more transparent and robust.
From the Sensex pack, Reliance Industries climbed 3.43 percent, the most among the blue-chip firms.
State Bank of India, Bharat Electronics, ICICI Bank, Eternal and Titan were also among the major winners.
