Sensex recovered further from the opening level of 3575.04 and touched the day's high of 3624.58, but fell to the day's low of 3562.71 before closing at 3586.80, showing a net gain of 17.33 points as against the previous close of 3569.47. The BSE-100 index firmed up by 6.56 points to 1754.04 from the previous close of 1567.48.

Apart from software stocks, the market witnessed a mixed trend as only select shares from the pharma, FMCG, and others posted marginal gains. They attributed the firm trend in IT stocks to the rupee's depreciation against the dollar. The political situation remained fluid with the resignations of AIADMK ministers from the union cabinet and no major move thereafter from the political opponents in the direction of topplingthe BJP-led government at the centre. Though FIIs reportedly picked up shares of ITC, Hindustan Lever, German Remedies and Infosys Technologies, operators had turned cautious in the light of the ongoing prevailing political uncertainty.

Pentafour software remained the top traded scrip with a turnover of Rs 379.34 of the total volume of business of Rs 1776.32 crore. Pentafour Software gained by Rs 32.25 to Rs 1192, Digital Equipment by Rs 9.75 to Rs 427.50, MTNL by Rs 10.50 to Rs 170, Hindustan Lever by Rs 32.25 to Rs 2232.25 and Telco by Rs 4.80 to Rs 154.70. However, ITC declined by Rs 4 to Rs 945, Satyam Computer by Rs 30.75 to Rs 1552 and SBI by Rs 1.70 to Rs 184.30.