Sensex surges nearly 150 points in early trade on gains in index-heavyweights

New Delhi: Domestic equity benchmark Sensex jumped nearly 150 points in early trade on Friday led by gains in index-heavyweights.

The BSE Sensex was trading 147.69 points or 0.39 per cent higher at 38,458.18; while NSE Nifty was up 45.80 points or 0.41 per cent at 11,346.25.

Sun Pharma, RIL, Infosys, LT, Asian Paint, TCS, M&M, Bharti Airtel, Titan, Tech Mahindra, ICICI Bank and ITC, rising upto  2.71 percent. On the other hand, major losers were ONGC, Powergrid, Maruti, Axis Bank, HCL Tech, Bajaj Auto, Bajaj Finance, Tata Steel, Ultrachem, SBI, HDFC Bank and Indus Ind Bank.

In the previous session, the Sensex had settled 59.14 points or 0.15 per cent lower at 38,310.49, and the Nifty slipped 7.95 points or 0.07 per cent to finish at 11,300.45.

Exchange data showed that foreign institutional investors bought equities worth Rs 416.28 crore on a net basis on Thursday.

Global oil benchmark Brent crude was trading 0.20 per cent higher at USD 45.05 per barrel.

MSCI`s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell 0.24%, although shares in Japan rose 0.07%. South Korean stocks fell 1.27% after authorities reported the largest number of new coronavirus cases since March. Chinese shares erased early gains and fell 0.1% as a slower-than-expected rise in industrial production and a surprise fall in retail sales weighed on investor sentiment. E-mini futures for the S&P 500 rose 0.23%, a Reuters report said.