Indian share prices closed up 1.16 percent on Monday on strong local fund buying in benchmark index companies and on lower oil prices, dealers said. They said trading volume remained low however, suggesting some weakness ahead as the 30-share Sensex index heads toward 12,000 points, a level not seen since May.
The Sensex rose 136.19 points to 11,914.21. "The global markets sentiment is improving," said Ravi Menon, director of investment banking for HSBC Securities and Capital Markets. Gainers led losers 1,627 to 926 on volume of 18.8 billion rupees (620 million dollars).
The rupee gained marginally against the dollar to 46.4 from 46.5 and was unchanged against the euro at 59.6. India's largest car maker Maruti rose 28.1 rupees or 3.2 percent to 903.4 while engineering multinational Larsen and Toubro rose 56.2 rupees or 2.3 percent to 2,484.25.