Sensex crosses 45000-mark

Equity benchmark Sensex rose above the

45000-mark for the first time ever and touched a new all-time high of

45,148.28 as the RBI raised the GDP growth projections for the current fiscal to 7.5 per cent contraction from 9.5 per cent contraction projected in October and positive global cues in expectation of a stimulus package by the new US adminstration.

The Sensex closed at

45079.55, up 446.90 points while the Nifty-50 gained

124.65 points, or 0.95 per cent, to close at a new alltime high of 13,258.55.

The BSE's market capitalisation hit a new high of over Rs 179.48 lakh crore. Rate sensitive bank, realty, capital goods and auto stocks led the gains as the overall accommodative stance of the Reserve Bank to support economic growth boosted sentiments.

"The MPC expectedly kept the policy rates unchanged but this was accompanied by strong accommodative guidance and assertive market signaling of lower-for-longer. The MPC reckoned the inflected growth momentum, while also stressed that the case of an eventual fall in inflation with easing supply shocks is yet to play out," said Emkay Global Financial Services.

The BSE Bankex index gained 2.14 per cent and Nifty Bank index gained

2.05 per cent while BSE Realty index gained 1.00 per cent.

The top gainers among the banks included ICICI Bank (4.20 per cent), SBI

(2.77 per cent), Axis Bank

(1.98 per cent), IndusInd Bank (1.96 percent), Kotak Mahindra Bank (1.34 per cent) and HDFC Bank

(0.59 per cent). Foreign portfolio investors were net buyers of equities worth Rs

2,969.59 crore while the domestic institutions were net sellers of equities worth Rs 1,971.60 crore.