MUMBAI: Market benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty recovered their intraday losses and ended higher on Tuesday as fag-end buying and sharp decline in crude oil prices calmed investors' sentiment.
After remaining in negative territory for most part of the day, the 30-share BSE Sensex bounced back during the fag-end of trading and was up 286.98 points, or 0.37 per cent, to settle at 77,656.09. During the day, it hit a high of 77,666.39 and a low of 77,125.91. The benchmark declined 243.2 points, or 0.31 per cent during intraday trade.
Similarly, the 50-share NSE Nifty ended higher by 115.50 points, or 0.48 per cent, at 24,334.55 on fag-end buying.
Among the 30 Sensex firms, InterGlobe Aviation, Adani Ports, Infosys, Trent, Titan and State Bank of India were the major winners.
Eternal, HCL Tech, Power Grid and Bajaj Finserv were among the major laggards.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, declined 3 per cent to USD 89.32 per barrel.
"The much-anticipated US sanctions against Iran fell short of market expectations, causing crude oil prices and bond yields to moderate from their recent peaks. This relief in energy costs aided a moderately positive close today on the monthly expiry day," Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments Limited, said.
In Asian markets, South Korea's Kospi, Japan's Nikkei 225 and Shanghai's SSE Composite index ended higher, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index settled marginally lower.
Markets in Europe were trading in positive territory.
US markets ended mostly lower on Monday.
Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) bought equities worth Rs 1,181.66 crore on Monday, according to exchange data.
In the last session, the Sensex declined 171.72 points, or 0.22 per cent, to settle at 77,369.11. The Nifty slipped 32.95 points, or 0.14 per cent, to end at 24,219.05.