Sensex, Nifty end higher ; Auto stocks fell, Bank shares edged higher

Benchmark indices settled the day on a positive note as investors were not very bullish ahead of March Future & Option series’ expiry. The Sensex, rose 131.71 points or 0.45% to 29,541.23. The Nifty-50 index rose 43 points or 0.47% to 9,143.80. Robust inflow from foreign portfolio investors in Indian equities also boosted investors' sentiment.

Gains in banking stocks pushed the key indices higher. ICICI Bank climbed 1.97% to Rs 282.40. HDFC Bank spiraled 0.84% to Rs 1,430.65. Bharti Infratel was the top Nifty gainer, while Hero MotoCorp was the top Nifty loser in today’s trading session.

Auto stocks fell after the Supreme Court banned sale of existing stocks of Bharat Stage III vehicles from 1 April 2017.

There were 597 advancing stocks , 824 declines and 351 unchanged stocks on the exchange, reflecting bearish undertone floating in the market.