"benchmark"

The stock of the exchange surged 17.81 per cent to Rs 5,519 on the NSE. Meanwhile, the National Stock Exchange (NSE) has deferred its plan to change the expiry day of all index and stock derivatives to Monday from Thursday until further notice following the Sebi's consultation paper

In early trade, BSE Sensex rises 41.65 points to 74,262.71; NSE Nifty up 20.1 points to 22,617.90.

The 30-share BSE index was trading 279.13 points or 0.69 per cent lower at 40,428.18, and the broader NSE Nifty fell 80.05 points or 0.67 per cent to 11,857.60.

Tech Mahindra was the top loser in the Sensex pack, shedding around 2 per cent, followed by HCL Tech, TCS, ICICI Bank, Bajaj Finance and ITC.

The 30-share BSE index opened on a weak note and gyrated over 600 points during the day. However, it gained ground in the last hour of the session to finish at 40,794.74, up 169.23 points or 0.42 per cent.

Economists say the outlook is grim without such support, and the chair of the Federal Reserve has said repeatedly it will likely be necessary.