Equity benchmarks remained in a consolidation
mode ahead of RBI credit policy today. A poll sees no rate cut by the RBI.
The 30-share BSE Sensex rose 15.42 points to
29137.69 and the 50-share NSE Nifty advanced 4.75 points to 8802.15. The BSE
Midcap and Smallcap indices gained 0.3 percent each.
About 1176 shares have advanced, 748 shares
declined, and 220 shares are unchanged on the Bombay Stock Exchange.
Reliance Industries gained nearly 2 percent after
the company applied for payments bank licence. Reliance said SBI will hold up
to 30 percent stake in payments bank JV.
Shares of ITC, Tata Motors, ONGC, HUL, Bharti
Airtel and Sesa Sterlite gained 1-2 percent. However, HDFC, Infosys, Axis Bank,
Bajaj Auto, Mahindra & Mahindra, Dr Reddy's Labs and Hindalco Industries
declined 1-3 percent.
Videocon Industries surged 12 percent as Videocon
consortium announced the largest discovery of petroleum in Brazil.