Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty closed higher for the third straight day on Wednesday following buying in blue-chip banking stocks and fresh foreign fund inflows as retail inflation slipping to near six-year lows raised hopes of further rate cuts.

The 30-share benchmark index ended at 77044.29 up by 309.4 points or by 0.4 % and then NSE Nifty was at 23437.2 up by 108.65 points or by 0.47 %.

Sensex touched intraday high of 77110.23 and intraday low of 76543.77 The NSE Nifty touched intraday high of 23452.2 and intraday low of 23273.05

The top gainers of the BSE Sensex pack were IndusInd Bank Ltd. (Rs. 788.25,+7.12%), Axis Bank Ltd. (Rs. 1161.55,+4.26%), Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone Ltd. (Rs. 1232.75,+1.81%), Asian Paints Ltd. (Rs. 2459.35,+1.75%), Bharti Airtel Ltd. (Rs. 1823.00,+1.35%), among others.

The top losers of the BSE Sensex pack were Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. (Rs. 11673.70,-1.51%), Infosys Ltd. (Rs. 1413.00,-1.00%), Tata Motors Ltd. (Rs. 616.10,-0.92%), Larsen & Toubro Ltd. (Rs. 3228.15,-0.90%), NTPC Ltd. (Rs. 359.30,-0.88%), among others.

Oil&Gas index was at 25357.07 up by 443.03 points or by 1.78%. Oil And Natural Gas Corporation Ltd. (Rs. 241.20,+3.63%), Oil India Ltd. (Rs. 378.45,+3.29%), GAIL (India) Ltd. (Rs. 184.70,+3.16%), Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (Rs. 390.00,+2.88%), Petronet LNG Ltd. (Rs. 301.35,+1.93%),.

Auto index was at 47432.59 down by -185.71 points or by -0.39%. UNO Minda Ltd. (Rs. 852.15,-2.96%), Tube Investments of India Ltd. (Rs. 2513.05,-2.22%), Bharat Forge Ltd. (Rs. 1055.10,-1.70%), Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. (Rs. 11673.70,-1.51%), Tata Motors Ltd. (Rs. 616.10,-0.92%),.

The Market breadth, indicating the overall strength of the market, was weak. On BSE out of total shares traded 4317 , shares advanced were 2785 while 1372 shares declined and 160 were unchanged.