Sensex gains 0.6 per cent, Nifty ends at record high

The Sensex on Friday gained 0.6 per cent amid positive global cues. The Sensex at Bombay Stock Exchange climbed 308 points to close at 51,423. The Nifty at the National Stock Exchange also added 98 points, or 0.64 per cent, to settle at 15,436. Boosting investor sentiment, India has seen a steady decline in daily COVID-19 cases and on Friday posted its lowest daily rise in infections in over a month.

Asian stocks on Friday closed mixed amid weaker-than-expected. Chinese factory indicators and concerns about Beijing's clampdown on internet companies weighed on sentiment. Data from the national Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in China showed that the official manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) fell to 51.1 in April as supply bottlenecks weighed on production and overseas demand softened. However, positive cues from the US market supported the equity indices of the region.
Singapore’s Straits times climbed 0.6 percent and China’s Shanghai Composite index rose 0.4 percent. On the other hand, Hong Kong's Hang Seng, South Korea’s KOSPI and Japan's Nikkei-225 fell up to 0.3 percent.European shares were also mixed in intra day trade. London’s FTSC-100 and Germany's DAX declined up to 0.3 percent while France’s CAC rose half a percent.