Sensex gains 231 points, Nifty ends above 9350 as banking stocks jump

Indian Stock market registered modest gains buoyed by encouraging sentiment in European trading. The BSE Sensex rose 231.41 points at 30,126.21. The NSE Nifty-50 index rose 47.95 points at 9,359.90. The Sensex settled higher than the psychological 30,000 level. The market breadth was balanced. About 1,428 shares advanced against 1,431 declining shares on the BSE.

Public sector banks’ stocks surged on reports that the Union Cabinet approved promulgation of an ordinance to modify the Banking Regulation Act for resolution of the bad loan trouble facing banks. Union Bank of India rose 6.72%, IDBI Bank surged 2.46%, SBI up 3.39%, Bank of Baroda rose 3.06% and PNB edged higher, BY 3.41%.

Housing finance topper HDFC declined 1 percent at Rs 1,555.35 after its consolidated profit fell 21.58 percent to Rs 2,044.20 crore on 7.7% decline in total income to Rs 8,514.51 crore in fourth quarter March 2017 year-on-year. The result was posted during market hours today.

Overseas, European stocks jumped higher aided by corporate earnings. Asian stocks clocked a mixed trend after the U.S Federal Reserve showed it remains on track to deliver two more rate hikes by year-end.