The Sensex opened with a negative gap of 114 points to 15,694, and slipped to a low of 15,573 - down 235 points from the previous close - due to negative cues from the global markets.

Buying in technology stocks, following the in-line numbers from Infosys [Get Quote], helped the index rebound into positive zone. As buying spread to other sectors, the index rallied to a high of 16,249 - up 676 points from the day's low.

The Sensex finally ended with a gain of 346 points (%) at 16,154.

The BSE IT Index zoomed 5.5% (203 points) to 3,863.

The market breadth was fairly positive - out of 2,709 stocks traded, 1,785 advanced, 873 declined and 51 were unchanged on Tuesday.

The NSE Nifty ended with a gain 102 points at 4,880.

Index movers

Infosys surged over 6% to Rs 1,511. TCS [Get Quote] gained over 7% at Rs 975. Wipro [Get Quote] and Satyam [Get Quote] rallied around 4.5% each to Rs 425 and Rs 452, respectively.

Among other technology stocks - HCL Technologies [Get Quote], i-flex, MphasiS, NIIT [Get Quote] Tech, Patni Computers, Rolta and Tech Mahindra [Get Quote] - gained 3-7% each.

Ranbaxy [Get Quote] zoomed 8.6% to Rs 482. Reliance Communications [Get Quote] gained 5.4% at Rs 520.

Hindustan Unilever moved up 4.4% to Rs 245. DLF gained 3.3% at Rs 617. Maruti [Get Quote] and NTPC added 2.8% each to close at Rs 760 and Rs 191, respectively.

ONGC [Get Quote], ICICI Bank [Get Quote] and Reliance advanced nearly 2.5% each to Rs 1,025, Rs 807 and Rs 2,609, respectively.

Cipla and Jaiprakash Associates [Get Quote] were up over 2% each at Rs 219 and Rs 219, respectively. ITC added nearly 2% to Rs 208.

And the shakers

Hindalco [Get Quote] slipped 1.6% to Rs 174. HDFC Bank [Get Quote] and Ambuja Cements were down almost 1% each at Rs 1,315 and Rs 117, respectively.

Most active counters

Orchid Chemicals topped the value chart with a turnover of Rs 453.30 crore followed by Reliance (Rs 373.50 crore), Reliance Petroleum [Get Quote] (Rs 299.25 crore), Reliance Natural Resources [Get Quote] (Rs 234 crore) and Reliance Capital [Get Quote] (Rs 196.30 crore).

Reliance Natural Resources led the volume chart with trades of around 2.28 crore shares followed by Orchid Chemicals (1.65 crore), Reliance Petroleum (1.60 crore), Sita Shree Foods (1.43 crore) and Kashyap Tech (1.33 crore).