The NSE benchmark Nifty advanced over 33 points to close at a fresh lifetime high of 20,103 while Sensex ticked higher for the tenth straight session on Thursday, helped by fag-end buying in oil & gas, metal and commodity stocks amid a largely firm trend in global equities.

After swinging between gains and losses throughout the session, the 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 52.01 points or 0.08 per cent to settle at 67,519. During the session, it jumped 304.06 points or 0.45 per cent to hit its all-time intra-day high of 67,771.05.

The Nifty advanced 33.10 points or 0.16 per cent to end at its all-time closing high of 20,103.10. During the day, it gained 97.65 points or 0.48 per cent to reach its lifetime intra-day peak of 20,167.65.

Mahindra & Mahindra was the biggest gainer on the Sensex chart, rising 2.56 per cent, followed by Tata Steel, Tech Mahindra, Nestle, Power Grid, Infosys, HCL Technologies, Axis Bank, UltraTech Cement and L&T.

In contrast, Asian Paints, ITC, Bajaj Finserv, Bharti Airtel and Tata Motors were among the laggards.

In Asian markets, Seoul, Shanghai and Hong Kong ended in the positive territory.

European equities were trading mostly in the green. The US markets ended on a mixed note on Wednesday.

Wholesale price-based inflation remained in the negative territory for the fifth straight month in August at (-) 0.52 per cent, but prices of food articles and fuel showed an uptick.

Global oil benchmark Brent crude climbed 0.56 per cent to USD 92.39 a barrel.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth Rs 1,631.63 crore on Wednesday, according to exchange data.

The BSE benchmark had settled at 67,466.99, up 245.86 points or 0.37 per cent on Wednesday. The broader Nifty ended above the 20,000 mark for the first time, rallying 76.80 points or 0.38 per cent to 20,070, its all-time closing high.

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