BSE Sensex hits record high as lenders extend rally

Mumbai: BSE Sensex and Nifty jumped nearly 1.5 per cent on Monday to a record, as lenders including ICICI Bank extended a recent rally on the back of strong foreign investor flows.

Nifty ended by 1.34 per cent higher after marking a lifetime high of 6,591.50, while the Sensex finished 1.38 percent up, after touching a record high of 22,074.34. Banks led the gains on optimism about a recovery in the domestic economy and bets the Reserve Bank of India would keep interest rates on hold for now at its policy review on April 1.

Nifty provisionally rose by 2.9 percent. ICICI Bank shares rose by 3.6 per cent,  while HDFC Bank  gained 2.8 per cent, after marking its record high of 752.90 rupees.