Stocks ended the day higher for a second day in a row as investors digested the news of the AAP victory in Delhi and focussed on the forthcoming Union Budget. The Sensex ended the day with gains of 178 points, while the Nifty rallied 61 points in trade.

Other stocks that gained in trade were Maruti Suzuki, Coal India and Reliance Industries. Nifty stocks that lost ground in trade were Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, Bharat Heavy Electricals, Bharti Airtel and Jaiprakash Associates.

Shares in Syndicate Bank jumped after the company reported better than expected results. The company reported a net profit in excess of Rs 300 crores. Other PSU banking stocks also saw some buying interest following the results.

IT stocks were a little subdued in trade, though most of them ended the day with gains. Among the gainers in trade were Infosys, TCS and Wipro.

Meanwhile, markets in Asia ended the day with gains on strong global cues. Among the Asian markets that gained in trade were the Singapore's Strait Times and the Korean Kospi.

GoodReturns.in