The Sensex rallied over 320 points while the broader Nifty ended at its fresh lifetime high on Thursday as investors poured money into infra, banking and energy stocks amid strong global cues.

The 30-share BSE Sensex ended 320.62 points, or 0.78 per cent, higher at 41,626.64. Similarly, the NSE Nifty closed 99.70 points, or 0.82 per cent, up at 12,282.20 its new closing record.

Sentiment remained bullish for the second straight day after PMI data showed that the country’s manufacturing sector activity improved in December, driven by new orders that rose at the fastest pace since July, traders said.

GST collections remaining above the Rs 1 lakh crore-mark in December also indicates that consumption recovery has taken hold, they added.

“The government’s more than double capex plan for the next five years and uptick in steel prices with the announcement of US-China deal signing date pushed the market higher… strong expectation in Union Budget.