Festive cheers: Mkt rallies for third straight session

BUOYED by festive sentiments and healthy Q2 earnings reported by India Inc, domestic equity market rallied for the third straight session on Friday with the benchmark indices BSE Sensex and the NSE Nifty hitting their 52-week highs during the trading session.

- ARSHAD KHAN @ New Delhi

The Sensex hit its 52-week high of 84,172, while the Nifty 50 rose to the 52-week high of 25,781.50 in intraday deals.

Following mild profit booking, the Sensex ended 485 points or 0.58% higher at 83,952.19, while the Nifty 50 settled 125 points or 0.49% higher at 25,709.85. The two indices are just 2% away from their all-time highs of 85,978.25 and 26,277.35 which they hit on September 27 last year. In the past three sessions, the Sensex has risen by over 1,900 points or 2.3%, while the Nifty 50 has advanced 2.2%.