New Delhi, Jan 18: A strong quarterly show by IT companies and gains in oil and gas stocks, PSU, power stocks pushed the markets at fresh two-year high with key benchmark index, Sensex closing above key psychological level of 20,000 since January 2011.
The Bombay Stock Exchange's 30-share index Sensex closed the day with 75.01 points, or 0.38 per cent, gains at 20,'.04.
The wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty also moved up by 25.20 points, or 0.42 per cent 6,064.40.
Oil and gas and PSU sectoral indices were the top gainers during the day and went up by nearly 3 per cent each, making them the biggest gainers on the Sensex today.
Among the top gainers on the BSE were ONGC, NTPC, Maruti, GAIL and HDFC, while the laggards were HUL, Dr Reddy's, Jindal Steel, Hero MotoCorp and Wipro.
On the NSE, BPCL, ONGC, Maruti, NTPC and GAIl led the gains, while Wipro, Hero MotoCorp, HUL, Dr Reddy's and Jindal Steel were the top losers.
Traders said buying sentiments got a boost on government virtually deregulating diesel prices in a key economic reform measure yesterday.
Meanwhile, the Asian markets rose on encouraging economic data from the US and China. At the close, Japan's Nikkei 225 was up 303.66 points (2.86 per cent) at 10,913.30, Hong Kong's Hang Seng was up246.17 points (1.05 per cent) at 23,585.93, Singapore's Straits Times was up 15.61 points (0.49 per cent) at 3,210.71, and South Korea's Kospi was up 13.58 points (0.69 per cent) at 1,987.85.
