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              Mumbai: A benchmark 
              index for Indian equities markets Monday closed 131.47 points 
              higher, helped by supportive global cues and good buying interest 
              in information technology (IT) stocks. 
               
              The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange 
              (BSE), which opened in the positive at 17,195.51 points, closed at 
              17,318.81, up 0.76 percent or 131.47 points from its previous 
              close at 17,187.34.  
               
              The Sensex touched a high of 17,359.18 points and low of 17,195.51 
              points in intra-day trade. The midcap was up 43.52 points and the 
              smallcap grew by 38.45 points. 
               
              The broad-based 50-scrip S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock 
              Exchange was 0.75 percent or 39.15 points up at 5,248.15 points.
               
               
              Sensex IT sectoral index was up 131.93 points followed by metals 
              index by 97.47 points, and oil and gas index which gained 82.97 
              points.  
               
              Prominent Sensex gainers were TCS, up 3.49 percent at Rs.1,244.90; 
              Jindal Steel, up 3.41 percent at Rs.502.70; Infosys, up 2.75 
              percent at Rs.2,462.60; DLF, up 2.61 percent at Rs.186.90; and 
              Hero MotoCorp, up 2.35 percent at Rs.2,234.90. 
               
              Maruti Suzuki's scrip was down 1.95 percent at Rs.1,369.90. The 
              passenger car major Saturday reported a three percent decline in 
              net profit which stood at Rs.639.8 crore for the fourth quarter of 
              2011-12.  
               
              Other major Sensex losers included BHEL, down 1.94 percent at 
              Rs.224.90; Mahindra and Mahindra, down 0.64 percent at Rs.710.15; 
              ITC, down 0.61 percent at Rs.245.25; HDFC, down 0.50 percent at 
              Rs.674; and Wipro, down 0.32 percent at Rs.405.10. 
               
              Earlier, Asian shares rose as weaker-than-expected US growth data 
              raised hopes of more monetary stimulus from the Federal Reserve. 
              Hang Seng index gained nearly 2 percent, while Taiwan and Kospi 
              gained 0.3 percent each. The Japanese and Chinese markets closed.
               
               
              The European markets were also trading in the green when the 
              markets here closed. 
               
               
                
              
              
               
               
                
              
                
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