BSE Sensex rose 131 points in late morning trade today

The BSE Sensex rose 131 points in late morning trade today on bouts of buying in key frontline stocks of realty, consumer durables, metals, banks, auto and FMCG sectors amid mixed Asian cues. Asian stocks were trading mixed despite the biggest advance in US shares in almost four weeks. Back home, profit-booking was witnessed in healthcare counters. The 30-share index was trading higher at 35,046.40 at 1115 hrs, showing a gain of 131.02 points, or 0.38 percent. The broader Nifty-50 index was trading up by 40.60 points, or 0.38 percent at 10,658.85. Major gainers were Axis Bank 1.87 percent, HUL 1.71 percent, Tata Steel 1.69 percent, SBI 1.43 per cent and Bajaj Auto 1.35 percent.

Losers included Coal India 1.95 percent, Dr. Reddy's 1.85 percent, and Sun Pharma 1.71 percent. Meanwhile, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares worth Rs 1,628.23 crore on a net basis, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) bought equities to the tune of Rs 1,084.09 crore last Friday, provisional data showed. Asian shares were mixed despite the strong closing on Wall Street as investors digested last week's trade talks and US jobs numbers. US stocks logged sharp gains on Friday as technology stocks rallied, overshadowing uncertainty over tense trade talks between the US and China and a weaker-than-expected rise in April non-farm payrolls.