Bengaluru: Shares closed higher on Friday, with the benchmark BSE Sensex recording its biggest weekly gain in nine weeks, as strong August sales data of companies such as Hero MotoCorp Ltd and Tata Motors Ltd lifted investor sentiments.

The NSE Nifty gained 2.36% in the week, its biggest gain in seven weeks, and closed up 0.4 percent at 8,809.65.

MUMBAI: The benchmark BSE Sensex spurted over 66 points to 28,518.53 and NSE Nifty reclaimed the 8,800-mark in early trade on Thursday on continued buying by foreign funds and retail investors even as economic growth slowed to 7.1 per cent in the April-June quarter.

The 30-share index, which had gained 669.92 points in the previous three sessions, was up by 66.36 points, or 0.23 per cent, to 28,518.53 with the sectoral indices led by auto, FMCG and banking were trading in positive zone.

The benchmark BSE Sensex continued its upward streak for a second day on the back of strong cues from the global stock markets.

On Wedesnday morning, the 30-share index was above the 28,000-level, a breached on Tuesday. In early trade, the Sensex was at 28,446.09, up 103.08 points or 0.36% from previous day's close.

The benchmark Sensex surged nearly 420 points at the pre-close session on sustained buying by investors coupled with fresh round of buying by foreign as well as domestic financial institutions amid firm global cues.

Higher Asian cues and sustained FII buying also supported the market sentiment.

Shares of information technology (IT) companies are under pressure with Wipro, NIIT Technologies, Hexaware Technologies and Tata Elxsi, hitting their respective 52-week lows on the BSE.

At 12:36 pm, the S&P BSE IT index, the largest loser among sectoral indices, was down 1.1% or 123 points at 10,267, as compared to 0.02% decline in the benchmark S&P BSE Sensex. The IT index hit an intra-day low of 10,230, its lowest level since February 29, 2016.

MUMBAI: The benchmark BSE Sensex recovered by nearly 85 points and the Nifty reclaimed 8,600-mark in early trade on Friday on fresh buying by investors as the September derivative contracts started on a solid note amid mixed Asian cues.

However, investors have been cautious for the past few sessions awaiting US Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen's speech on Friday that will give indication about the US rate hikes going ahead.

Markets finished the session on a marginally higher note amid choppy session as investors turned cautious ahead of August F&O expiry and signals on key policy rates from US Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen at a meeting scheduled this week.

The S&P BSE Sensex ended up 70 points at 28,060 and the Nifty50 rose 18 points to settle at 8,650. In the broader market, the BSE Midcap and Smallcap indices ended up nearly 1%, outperforming the benchmark indices.

The National Stock Exchange is following the steps of the BSE, and moving towards launching an IPO to list its shares.

In a press release from the stock exchange, the bourse said, that the NSE Board had held a meeting on August 22, to appoint investment bankers for its IPO.

The domestic stock markets have opened nearly flat from their Friday closes in the first trading session after the next Reserve Bank of India Governor was announced.

The 30-share benchmark BSE Sensex opened at 28,129.33, up 52.33 points or 0.19% higher from its Friday's close. The index had closed the week at 28,088.07, up 11.07 points or 0.04% higher.

Mumbai: Indian gauges of mid- and small-cap shares extended gains to records as a merger plan spurred a rally in banks.

State Bank of India (SBI) rose the most on the benchmark S&P BSE Sensex after the lender approved a merger plan with three of its units and Bharatiya Mahila Bank Ltd amid a government push to strengthen the nation’s fragmented banking industry.

Inviting Real Estate Agents, Job Placements Agents, Educational Institutes, Software Service Providers, Real Estate Builders, Marriage Bureaus, Travel Agents, Restaurant Owners, Health & Fitness Centers and other Local Businesses to Post a FREE Classified Advertisement on Cootera.com Classifieds Website.