Sensex ends 222 points higher, Nifty tops 15,150

Indian equity benchmarks held on to the comeback in afternoon trade, snapping a two-session losing streak, as investors weighed the benchmark index’s pace of gains against a slew of better-than-expected local earnings.

The S&P BSE Sensex rose 0.4% to 51,531, while the NSE Nifty 50 Index gained 0.4% as well to end the session at 15,173. Both indices had closed the previous to sessions lower after six days of gains, their longest winning streak in a month that took them to new highs.

Global markets

Asian shares rested at record highs on Thursday as investors digested recent meaty gains, while bulls were sustained by the promise of endless free money after a benign reading on U.S. inflation and a dovish Federal Reserve outlook.

Adding to the torpor was a lack of liquidity as markets in China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan were all on holiday.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan added 0.1 per cent. Japan's Nikkei was shut after ending at a 30-year peak on Wednesday, while Australia's main index held near an 11-month top.

(With inputs from Reuters)