Equity indices close at new high, auto stocks surge over 3%

Cheering the Bharatiya Janata Party`s (BJP) win in the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh assembly polls and with a surge in automobile stocks, the key Indian equity indices -- the BSE Sensex and the NSE Nifty50 -- rose to new closing highs on Tuesday.

The barometer 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the BSE provisionally closed at a new high of 33,836.74 points -- up 235.06 points or 0.70 per cent from its previous close -- surpassing its previous closing high of 33,685.56 points recorded on November 3.

The BSE market breadth was bullish -- 1,875 advances and 804 declines.

Similarly, the wider Nifty50 of the National Stock Exchange soared by 83.45 points or 0.80 per cent to a new high of 10,472.20 points on a closing basis, crossing its previous closing high of 10,452.50 points scaled on November 3.

On Monday, the key indices closed with gains after swinging from the extreme negative to the positive.

The NSE Nifty50 rose by 55.50 points or 0.54 per cent to close at 10,388.75 points, while the BSE Sensex closed at 33,601.68 points -- up 138.71 points or 0.41 per cent -- from its previous close.