Benchmarks trade firm; pharma stocks rebound
Benchmark indices were trading near the day's high in mid-afternoon. At 14:28 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, soared 1,190.56 points or 2.45% at 49,790.17. The Nifty 50 index surged 371.60 points or 2.60% at 14,653.80. Shares rallied for the second day as investors cheered Union Budget announcements. Positive global cues also lifted the sentiment. The broader market lagged the benchmark indices. The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index gained 2.04% while the S&P BSE Small-Cap index gained 1.63%. Buyers outnumbered sellers. On the BSE, 1,716 shares rose and 1,168 shares fell. A total of 163 sha...