Mumbai
BSE benchmark Sensex rose over 200 points in early trade on Wednesday following gains in auto, metals and banking stocks amid unabated buying by domestic institutional investors and rupee recovery.

The 30-share index spurted 220.38 points, or 0.64 per cent, to 34,519.85. The barometer had lost 175 points on Tuesday.Sectoral indices, led by capital goods, auto, oil and gas, metal and health care, rose up to 1.5 per cent.

The NSE Nifty, too, was up by 45.55 points, or 0.43 per cent, at 10,346.60.The rupee was trading higher by 23 paise at 74.16 against the American currency in early deals.

There was continued buying by domestic institutional investors as well as select purchases by retail investors, traders said.

Besides, the RBI’s decision to inject Rs 12,000-crore liquidity into the system through the purchase of government bonds on October 11 in order to meet festive season demand for funds also boosted the sentiment here, they added.

Prominent gainers include Hero MotoCorp, ONGC, Vedanta, Bajaj Auto, Tata Motors, Bharti Airtel, Maruti Suzuki, Kotak Bank, RIL, Tata Steel, Axis Bank, Sun Pharma, HDFC Ltd, L&T, Coal India, SBI and ICICI Bank, rising up to 2.87 per cent.

Meanwhile, DIIs bought shares worth a net of Rs 1,526 crore, while foreign institutional investors pulled out a net Rs 1,242 crore on Tuesday, as per provisional stock exchange data.