Mumbai, July 27 -- The domestic equity benchmarks opened sharply higher on Monday, snapping a five-session losing streak, as positive global cues boosted investor sentiment. Easing tensions in West Asia led to a sharp decline in crude oil prices, improving risk appetite across global markets.

In early trade, the Nifty climbed above the 23,900 mark. All sectoral indices on the NSE traded in positive territory, with IT, media and FMCG stocks emerging as the top gainers.

At 09:30 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, jumped 547.66 points or 0.72% to 76,607.43. The Nifty 50 index advanced 162.25 points or 0.71% to 23,929.70.

In the broader market, the BSE 150 MidCap Index surged 0.97% and the BSE 250 SmallCap Index rallied 0.80%. ...