Sensex breaches 28,000-mark in early trade; Nifty at 8,363.65

Mumbai: The benchmark BSE Sensex breached 28,000-mark for the first time and the NSE Nifty hit a new  peak of 8,363.65 in early trade on sustained fund  inflows amidst optimism over encouraging corporate earnings. 

Besides, falling global crude oil prices which dipped to  its lowest closing point since October 2011 also influenced  trading sentiments, brokers said.  The 30-share index flared up by 141.57 points, or 0.50  per cent, to hit a new peak of 28,001.95, surpassing previous  intra-day record of 27,969.82 reached on Monday. 

The gauge had shed 5.45 points in the previous session.  Markets remained closed yesterday on account of "Muharram".  All the sectoral indices, led by realty, consumer  durables and power, were trading in positive zone with gains  up to 1.50 per cent.  Breaching all previous records, the 50-share NSE Nifty  gained 39.50 points, or 0.47 per cent, to hit a new lifetime  high of 8,363.65. It had touched the intra-day lifetime high  of 8,350.60 on Monday. 

Marketmen said persistent inflow of foreign funds and  sustained buying by retail investors, buoyed by a series of  economic reforms undertaken by the government and  better-than-expected earnings by blue-chip companies, lifted  the key indices to new highs.  Prominent gainers among the 30 Sensex stocks were Bajaj  Auto, BHEL, Cipla, ITC, L&T, SBI, Sun Pharma, TCS, Tata Motors  and Tata Power. 

Among other Asian markets, Japan's Nikkei fell 0.21 per  cent, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng shed 0.62 per cent in early  trade today.  The US Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 0.10 per cent  higher in yesterday's trade.