Sensex creates a record at 34,087, oil stocks jump

Mumbai: The benchmark Sensex today achieved yet another record by scaling 34,087 on the back of a rally in healthcare, power and oil stocks.

Oil prices surged to the highest level since mid-2015, breaching above the 3842.41₹ a barrel, after a pipeline blast in Libya restricted Opec production. The 30-share Sensex was up 76.71 points, or 0.22 per cent, to scale a new high of 34,087.32, breaching its previous intra-day record of 34,061.88 hit yesterday.

The gauge had gained 254.33 points in the previous two sessions. The broader Nifty was however flat, up 1.75 points, or 0.01 per cent, at 10,533.25. Major movers were Sun Pharma, NTPC, ONGC and Tata Motors, gaining up to 2.88 per cent.

Buying by domestic institutional investors continued ahead of December expiry tomorrow. Asian stocks were mixed today in a holiday-shortened week. Domestic institutional investors (DIIs) purchased equities worth a net Rs 544.50 crore yesterday while foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares worth a net Rs 44.07 crore, provisional data showed.