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Indian shares gain over 1.0 per cent

Saturday, 14 February 2015


MUMBAI, Feb 13 (Reuters): Indian shares rose for a fourth consecutive day on Friday, as State Bank of India surged after bad loans rose only slightly in the previous quarter, with sentiment also underpinned by stable consumer inflation data and stronger global markets.
India's NSE index was up 1.7 per cent for the week, snapping two consecutive weeks of falls, after data this week was revised sharply upwards.
Hopes about the economy were further buoyed after data on Thursday showed India's retail inflation stayed well below the central bank's target, bolstering prospects for further interest rate cuts.
The benchmark BSE index closed 1.01 per cent higher at 29,094.93 points.
The NSE index gained 1.08 per cent to 8,805.50 points Gains tracked a rally in Asian shares that sent the MSCI Asia-Pacific index excluding Japan up 1.5 per cent.
Shares in State Bank of India closed 7.97 per cent higher, its biggest single-day gain since May 23, 2014.
The lender said on Friday its bad loans as a per centage of total loans were 4.9 per cent for the three months to Dec. 31, compared with 4.89 per cent a quarter earlier. Analysts had expected the number to be higher.