MARKETS: Sensex up 600 pts, Nifty tops 17,750; Private Bank index up 2%

Markets at 12 noon LIVE market updates: The key benchmark indices were seen extending gains in noon trade as continued buying across all sectors and buoyed market sentiment aided the upmove. The BSE Sensex was at 59,499, higher by 637 points, and the NSE Nifty had climbed 184 points to 17,761. Banking and financials kept the indices steady. Bajaj Finserv and IndusInd Bank, both up nearly 5 per cent were the top gainers. Kotak Bank, Bajaj Finance, Axis Bank were the other leading gainers. IT stocks were providing robust support with HCL Tech, Wipro and TCS trading 1-3 per cent higher. The BSE MidCap index was now up 1.2 per cent. The BSE SmallCap index, too, was up 1.56 per cent. Top MidCap gainers included Vodafone Idea, Union Bank, Oracle Financial Services, Honey Automation, Trent, Macrotech Developers, Canara Bank, LIC Housing Finance, Biocon, M&M Financial, and Apollo Hospitals . These stocks were up between 3-8 per cent.

Sectorally, Nifty Private Bank index had jumped 2 per cent, while Nifty Bank was up 1.8 per cent. ____________________________________________________________________ Markets at 11 AM LIVE market updates: The headline indices were firm in morning deals and were higher by up to 0.8 per cent. The BSE Sensex was up 523 points at 59,386 and the NSE Nifty was at 17,734, higher by 157 points. The upmove in the indices stayed steady as gains in banking counters continued to provide support. Meanwhile, the top laggards included Tech Mahindra, Ultratech Cement, L&T, Sun Pharma, HUL, Maruti and Tata Steel. Further, Tech M (down 3.4 per cent) and Adani Ports (down 1 per cent) were the top losers on the Sensex and Nifty, respectively, as investors seemed disappointed with the Q3 earnings of both the companies. ALSO READ: Indian equities are in a bull-phase; buy on dips: Chris Wood The broader markets, meanwhile, were outperforming the benchmarks with the BSE MidCap and SmallCap indices trading over 1 per cent each. Among stocks, Anupam Rasayan India (ARIL) hit a new high of Rs 1,106 and rallied 10 per cent on the BSE after the company’s board approved the acquisition of 24.96 per cent stake in Tanfac Industries from Birla Group Holdings Private Limited and others for Rs 148.14 crore. READ HERE

Shares of Vodafone Idea (VIL) extended gains soaring 10 per cent to Rs 11.75 on the exchange on the back of heavy volumes after Care Ratings (CARE) upgraded its rating on the company’s long term bank facilities and non-convertible debentures (NCD). The rating agency also assigned a ‘stable’ outlook.READ MORE _________________________________________________________________ Markets at 10 AM LIVE market updates: The benchmark indices steadily held their opening gains with broad-based buying. The BSE Sensex was up 546 points at 59,409, while the NSE Nifty was at 17,744, higher by 168 points.

The two indices were up 0.9 per cent each. Banking counters were leading gains on the bourses. Bajaj twins, IndusInd Bank, Kotak Bank, Axis Bank were the top gainers on the Sensex, followed by HCL Tech, Wipro, Titan, HDFC, and ITC. In the broader markets, the BSE MidCap and SmallCap indices had also extended gains and were now up 1.1 and 1.4 per cent, respectively. On the NSE, Nifty SmallCap 50 and SmallCap 100 indices were the top gainers, up 1.87 and 1.7 per cent, respectively. Sectorally, among banks, PSUs were leading gainers, with the Nifty PSU Bank index trading 1.7 per cent higher. The Nifty Auto, Realty and Pharma indices were the other gainers. Among stocks, shares of Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) were locked at the 5 upper circuit at Rs 149.25 on the BSE after the telecom company said it has decided not to opt for conversion of interest related to adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues into equity in the name of the government, as planned earlier. READ MORE.

____________________________________________________________________ Opening Bell

LIVE market updates: The key benchmark indices started with strong gains on Wednesday, upbeat on the Union Budget announced a day before. The BSE Sensex was up 494 points at 59,356, while the NSE Nifty was 126 points higher at 17,703.

In the broader markets, the BSE MidCap and SmallCap indices were also in the green and were up 0.5 and 0.8 per cent, respectively.

Among the Sensex-30 constituents, Bajaj twins, PowerGrid, ITC, Kotak Bank, IndusInd Bank, HDFC Bank, SBI, and Bharti Airtel were the top gainers, up between 0.9-2 per cent. On the Nifty, Eicher Motors, up nearly 2 per cent was the additonal gainer. On the flip side, Tech M was the top loser on the bourses, down 3 per cent as the company’s Q3 results missed street estimates. It reported a 6.8 per cent rise in net profit at Rs 1,378.2 crore, with the growth in profits being compressed by supply side challenges.

Sectorally, all indices were trading higher, led by the Nifty Private Banks, and Financial services indices, up 1.6 and 1.4 per cent, respectively. Next in line were the Nifty Auto, Realty, and Pharma indices, trading 0.6-1 per cent up. Among stocks, Vodafone Idea was trading 4 per cent higher on the BSE after rating agency CARE Ratings reportedly upgraded the company’s long term bank facility and NCDs to ‘stable’. Similarly, shares of VIP Ind were also up nearly 7 per cent after the company posted consolidated profit at Rs 33.47 crore in Q3 against a loss of Rs 7 crore in the year-ago period. Its revenue rose to Rs 397.34 crore from Rs 232.53 crore in the previous year. __________________________________________________________________________________ Pre-open session LIVE market updates: The benchmark indices were seen holding gains in pre-open trades. The BSE Sensex was up 245 points at 59,108, while the NSE Nifty was 70 points higher at 17,647. _________________________________________________________________ LIVE market updates: The key benchmark indices are likely to continue a strong start for a second session on Wednesday amid positive global cues and budget euphoria. At 8:05 am, the SGX Nifty Futures were quoting 17,718 level, that is 100 points higher than Nifty’s spot close on Monday. Today, in line with Tuesday’s announcements, stocks related to infrastructure, housing, Defence, Railways, Logistics, Shipping, Chemicals and Sugar may see post-budget moves. Among individual stocks, Adani Green, Apollo Tyres, Adani Total Gas, Balrampur Chini, Dabur, eClerx Services, HDFC, IOB, Tata Consumer Products, and Zee Entertainment are likely to be in focus ahead of December quarter earnings. Global cues

The US stocks ended higher for the third straight day overnight amid high volatility, reflecting underlying nervousness in the markets. The Dow Jones and Nasdaq rose 0.8 per cent each, while the S&P 500 was up 0.7 per cent.

After soaring over 17 per cent in January, oil prices started the new month on a flat note ahead of the crucial OPEC+ meeting hoping for a boost in supply. The OPEC+ members will meet tonight. Brent Crude was down 0.1 at $89.16 a barrel, and WTI Crude also added almost unchanged at $88.20 a barrel.