Sensex rallies over 200 points on IMF outlook; 10 stocks in focus in Thursday's trade

NEW DELHI: The S&P BSE Sensex rallied as much as 252 points in trade on Thursday, a day after International Monetary Fund (IMF) raised its growth forecast for the current fiscal to 7.2 per cent.

Markets @ 11

Sensex up 213.83 points at 28,873.00. Nifty at 8,761.70; up 61.75 points.

Top gainers on Sensex: NTPC (5.5%), ITC (2.3%), TATA MOTORS (1.9%), MARUTI SUZUKI (1.7%), TATA POWER (1.5%)

Top Losers: M&M (-1.6%), DR. REDDY'S (-1.0%), HUL (-0.8%), WIPRO (-0.5%), BAJAJ AUTO (-0.5%)

Here is a list of ten stocks which are likely to remain in focus today:
Fortis Healthcare Ltd: Two promoter holding firms of Fortis Healthcare have bought back a combined Rs 280-crore non-convertible debentures of the company that were alloted on private placement basis.

Tata Teleservices & Bharti Airtel Ltd: India's biggest phone company Bharti Airtel is said to be in preliminary discussions with Tata Teleservices on joining forces in a front that would be better equipped to counter possible closer integration between the telecom businesses of brothers Mukesh and Anil Ambani, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

Dabur India Ltd: The Burman Family Office, the investment arm of the Burman family, promoters of fast-moving consumer group conglomerate Dabur India, is in the final stages of negotiations to invest an undisclosed amount in online insurance policy aggregator EasyPolicy.com.

Gail India Ltd: Government has asked GAIL to remit to the exchequer on a monthly basis the incremental gas price from RIL's KG-D6 field towards recovery of profit share it claims is due from the private firm.

Elder Pharma Ltd: The pharma major said it has made major pending statutory payments of TDS, provident fund, ESIC and Maharashtra Labour Welfare Fund (MLWF). These payments amount to around Rs 26 crore, the company said in a release here.

ICICI Bank Ltd: India's largest private-sector lender, is in talks to sell part of its stake in a life insurance joint venture to Temasek Holdings Pte and Carmignac Gestion for about $300 million, according to a Bloomberg report.

Den Networks Ltd: Cable television services firm Den Networks has approved increasing limit of foreign investment in the company from existing 49 per cent to 74 per cent.

Educomp Solutions Ltd: Educomp Solutions Ltd on Wednesday said that it has received shareholders' nod to issue equity shares on preferential basis pursuant to conversion of Funded Interest Term Loan (FITL) to the CDR and non-CDR lenders, it said in a filing to the BSE.

Insurance stocks: According to ET sources Congress, Left, Trinamool and other parties are not going to press for sending the Insurance Bill - that seeks to increase FDI in the sector from 26 to 49% - to a Select Committee, but are likely to move amendments when it comes up for discussion and passage in the Rajya Sabha on March 12.