Sensex rises 115 points in early trade; Nifty above 18,640

Equity benchmark Sensex climbed 115 points in early trade on Friday, helped by buying in auto, metal and FMCG stocks amid a firm trend in global markets.

A strong rupee against major rivals also supported the domestic equities, traders said.

The 30-share BSE index was trading 115.09 points or 0.18 per cent higher at 62,685.77 in initial deals. Similarly, the broader NSE Nifty gained 33.25 points or 0.18 per cent to 18,642.60.

IndusInd Bank was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, rising 1.10 per cent, followed by HUL, Tata Steel, NTPC, SBI, ITC, Nestle India and Maruti.

On the other hand, HCL Tech, Infosys, Tech Mahindra and Axis Bank were the losers.

In the previous session on Thursday, the 30-share BSE benchmark ended 160 points higher at 62,570.68. The broader NSE Nifty advanced 48.85 points to settle at 18,609.35.

In Asian markets, bourses in Tokyo, Shanghai, Seoul and Hong Kong were trading with gains in mid-session deals.

Equities on Wall Street ended higher in the overnight session on Thursday.

The rupee appreciated 19 paise to 82.19 against the US dollar in early trade on Friday.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) were net sellers in capital markets as they offloaded shares worth Rs 1,131.67 crore on Thursday, according to exchange data.

International oil benchmark Brent crude was trading 0.85 per cent higher at USD 76.80 per barrel.