Benchmark indexes traded higher on Thursday, tracking gains in Asian peers as sentiment turned more optimistic after US Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell's dovish comments on policy rate trajectory.

Share Market Live

NSE

Around noon, the Sensex traded at 36,068.39, higher by 351 points, or 0.98 percent, while the Nifty was trading above 10,800, at 10,825.50, rising by more than 96 points, or 0.90 percent.

The Nifty MidCap traded positive at 0.15 percent but underperformed when compared to frontline indexes. The BSE MidCap rose 0.35 percent.

Sectors associated with consumer, energy, financials were leading the 32 advancing ones, while 11 sector declined including public sector enterprises, power, IT and other utilities.

Shares of Hindalco, Bajaj Finserv, M&M, BPCL, Bajaj Finance, Vedanta, Bajaj Auto, Tata Motors and Reliance gained by up to 3.5 percent. Yes Bank, HCL Technologies, Coal India, ONGC, Sun Pharma and NTPC shares declined by up to 6 percent.

Shares of Yes Bank continued to slide, falling more than 7 percent, as investors sold in large quantum following series of downgrades by rating agencies after the recent board exits and governance issues. After Moody's Investors Service cut its Yes Bank rating on Tuesday, CARE Ratings and ICRA also downgraded their long-term debt rating on the bank's bonds.

The rupee traded at 69.93 against the US dollar at 12.13 pm, trading at 3-month high, sustaining gains from the last three sessions. In November, the home currency has gained 5 percent against the greenback, posting its best monthly gains since January 2012. The rupee has appreciated 6 percent from the record low of 74.48 against the US dollar hit on October 11.

Also, catch all the action and updates in our Market Live blog

.

(With inputs from agencies)