Benchmark domestic equity indices today ended with strong gains, driven by a surge in auto, IT and financial stocks. The 30-share index at Bombay Stock Exchange, Sensex, soared 1,436 points, to close at 79,944. Similarly, the National Stock Exchange Nifty-50 rose 446 points, to settle at 24,189. Both the indices settled up by over 1.8 percent each.   

The broader market indices at BSE mirrored the equity market. The Mid-Cap index climbed almost 0.9 percent and the Small-Cap index advanced over 0.6 percent.