New Delhi, 22 June (H.S.): The domestic stock market remained on a firm footing during early trading on Monday. Benchmark indices opened higher and, despite witnessing a brief pullback due to profit booking immediately after the opening bell, quickly regained momentum as buyers stepped in. Sustained buying helped both the Sensex and the Nifty recover and extend their gains. By 10:00 a.m., the Sensex was trading 0.52 percent higher, while the Nifty had gained 0.55 percent.

Among the heavyweight stocks, Eternal, Bharti Airtel, Power Grid Corporation, NTPC, and Nestlé were trading higher by 2.22 percent to 1.03 percent at 10:00 a.m. On the other hand, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Tech Mahindra, HCL Technologies, and HDFC Bank were trading lower, with losses ranging from 6.75 percent to 2.41 percent.

A total of 2,783 stocks were actively traded on the exchanges during early trade. Of these, 2,011 stocks were trading in the green with gains, while 772 stocks were in the red. Among the 30 Sensex constituents, 20 stocks were trading higher on buying support, whereas 10 were under selling pressure. Similarly, out of the 50 Nifty constituents, 35 stocks were trading in positive territory and 15 were trading lower.

The BSE Sensex opened 357.77 points higher at 77,160.67. Soon after the opening, profit booking dragged the index down to an intraday low of 77,008.02. However, renewed buying interest helped the benchmark rebound sharply. Within the first 10 minutes of trading, the Sensex climbed to an intraday high of 77,249.27 before witnessing another bout of mild selling pressure. Amid continued buying and selling activity, the Sensex was trading 398.81 points higher at 77,201.71 at 10:00 a.m.

Similarly, the NSE Nifty opened 93.50 points higher at 24,106.60. The benchmark remained volatile in early trade as buyers and sellers battled for control. Selling pressure briefly pulled the index down to 24,073.15, while renewed buying lifted it to an intraday high of 24,148.70.

Amid continued market activity, the Nifty was trading 132.20 points higher at 24,145.30 by 10:00 a.m.

In the previous trading session on Friday, the last trading day of the week, the Sensex had closed 607.08 points, or 0.78 percent, lower at 76,802.90. The Nifty had also ended the session down by 154.90 points, or 0.64 percent, at 24,013.10.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar