The Bombay Stock Exchange is seen on the Dalal Street. The Sensex yesterday hit the new record high surpassing its previous high of 21,960.89 points reached on Friday.

IANS/Mumbai

Led by strong buying support from foreign funds, a benchmark index of the Indian equities markets yesterday broke the 22,000-point barrier in a new record high. The 30-scrip S&P Sensex (sensitive index) of the Mumbai Stock Exchange (BSE) closed flat after rising to a record intra-day high of 22,023.98 points.

The Sensex hit the new record high surpassing its previous high of 21,960.89 points reached on Friday.

The Sensex which opened in negative at 21,819.19 points, ended the day at 21,934.83 points, up 15.04 points or 0.07% from its previous day close at 21,919.79 points.

The index touched a high of 22,023.98 points and low of 21,805.22 points in the intra-day.

The wider 50-scrip S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) closed 10.60 points or 0.16% higher at 6,537.25 points. Heavy selling pressure was seen in IT, healthcare, metal, technology, entertainment and media and consumer durables.

The S&P BSE IT index was down 230.13 points, healthcare index was lower by 173.51 points, metals index was down 96.61 points.

However, strong buying support was observed in capital goods, banks, oil and gas, automobile and reality stocks.

The S&P BSE capital goods index was up 311.29 points, followed by bank index which was up 259.50 points, oil and gas index up 101.34 points, automobile index rose 64.63 points and reality index was higher by 33.58 points.

Meanwhile, rising for the fifth day in a row, the rupee yesterday appreciated 22 paise against the US dollar to end at an over seven-month high level of 60.85 on heavy capital inflows into equities that surged to a fresh record.

Sustained dollar selling by exporters and some banks also aided the rupee sentiment, limiting the impact of the US dollar’s gain in overseas markets.