MARKET: Sensex ends 646 pts higher as RIL jumps 7%; Nifty settles at 11,449

The domestic stock market ended over 1.5 per cent higher on Thursday, thanks to healthy buying in Reliance Industries (RIL). 

RIL shares hit a fresh record high of Rs 2,343.90 apiece on the BSE in the intra-day session after news reports said the company is offering to sell roughly $20 billion worth of stake in its retail arm, Reliance Retail, to Amazon. The market-capitalisation (m-cap) of the company crossed Rs 15 trillion mark during the trade. The stock settled at Rs 2,314.65 on the BSE, up 7 per cent. READ MORE

The S&P BSE Sensex today settled at 38,840 levels, up 646 points, or 1.69 per cent while NSE's Nifty ended at 11,449, up 171 points, or 1.52 per cent. Volatility index, India VIX, declined over 4 per cent to 21.27 levels. 

The sectoral trend on the NSE was positive. Barring Nifty Metal, all the other indices ended in the green. Nifty PSU Bank rallied the most - up 2.5 per cent. Nifty Metal, on the other hand, slipped over 1 per cent to 2,369.80 levels. 

In the broader market, the S&P BSE MidCap index gained 0.92 per cent to 14,575 levels while the S&P BSE SmallCap index rallied 1.27 per cent to 14,483 points. 

The tech-led reboot of stock markets stalled in Europe on Thursday as traders pulled back to hear just how twitchy the European Central Bank has become about the euro's run-up in recent months.

In Asia, Hong Kong shares retreated in the afternoon session to finish lower, tracking broad weakness in the mainland market dragged down by a slump in China's start-up stocks. China's main Shanghai Composite index closed down 0.61 per cent at 3,234.82, while the blue-chip CSI300 index ended down 0.06 per cent. 

In commodities, oil prices dipped after data showed US crude stockpiles rose last week and the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) downgraded its oil demand outlook, although the Brent benchmark stayed above $40 a barrel. 

(With inputs from Reuters)