NEW DELHI: Overall 16 stocks, including Alok Industries, Asian Paints, Berger Paints, Britannia Industries and Cigniti Technologies hit 52-week highs on NSE on Monday.Zydus Wellness, V-Mart Retail, Tata Elxsi, RBL Bank, Page Industries, Mahindra Mahindra and Hexaware Technologies also featured among stocks that touched 52-week highs.Healthy buying in metal, auto, pharma, oil gas and bank stocks amid positive global cues in the light of a strong US jobs data and hints from Bank of Japan that it will maintain its ultra-easy money policy, helped Sensex and Nifty extend their gains to the second straight session on Monday.Investors are now optimistically awaiting the quarterly results of bluechip companies that will set the mood for the market.
Tata Consultancy Services will report its April-June quarter earnings on Tuesday, kick-starting the earnings season.Besides, the Indian rupee improved on Monday, giving fresh hopes to market participants.The Sensex index rose 277 points, or 0.78 per cent, settling at 35,935, with 25 stocks advancing and 6 stocks declining.The Nifty added 80 points, or 0.74 per cent, to its previous close figure to close the day at 10,853, with 38 stocks in the green and 12 in the red.Asian Paints, YES Bank and Vedanta stood as the top gainers in the Nifty index on Monday.