Markets surge to lifetime highs: Sensex rallies 610 points, Nifty ends above 15,300 led by banks

Indian stock markets ended the day’s trade at their highest ever closing levels on Monday. After touching a record high of 52,235.97 during the day, the 30-share BSE Sensex ended 609.83 points or 1.18 per cent up at its new closing peak of 52,154.13.

Similarly, the broader NSE Nifty soared 151.40 points or 1 per cent to finish at a record 15,314.70. It touched an intra-day peak of 15,340.15.

Axis Bank led the Sensex gainers' chart, climbing 5.88 per cent, followed by ICICI Bank, Bajaj Finance, SBI, IndusInd Bank, HDFC, Bajaj Finserv and HDFC Bank.

On the other hand, Dr Reddy's, TCS, Tech Mahindra, HUL, Asian Paints and Titan were among the laggards, sliding up to 1.77 per cent.

Meanwhile, the global oil benchmark Brent crude was trading 1.30 per cent higher at USD 63.24 per barrel.

The rupee gained 7 paise to settle at 72.68 against the US dollar.

Global markets

Global shares rose for the 11th day in a row to hit a fresh peak on optimism about the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines and new fiscal aid from Washington, while tensions in the Middle East drove oil to a 13-month high.

With China and Hong Kong markets closed for the Lunar New Year holiday, Japan's Nikkei led the way, climbing 1.9 per cent to reclaim the 30,000-point level for the first time in more than three decades.

In Europe, shares scaled one-year highs on Monday with the pan-European STOXX 600 up 0.7 per cent.
  
Oil joined equity markets in pushing higher, reaching its highest level since January 2020. Brent crude rose 1.6 per cent to $63.41 a barrel. US crude oil gained 2.1 per cent to $60.74.

In the cryptocurrency market, Bitcoin recovered some of its overnight weakness to trade down 2.3 per cent at $47,539.49, below a record high of $49,714.66.

(With inputs from Reuters)