BSE Sensex gains nearly 1.5 pct,ITC,Axis Bank shares surge

BSE Sensex rose on Monday to its highest close in nearly 2-1/2 weeks as some blue chips recovered from recent steep falls while ITC Ltd shares jumped after a UBS report said the company had raised prices for some of its cigarette brands.

ITC Ltd shares provisionally rose 3.4 percent while Axis Bank shares ended 4.2 percent higher.

The BSE Sensex provisionally rose 1.35 percent 266.41 pts,marking its fourth consecutive day of gains,while the broader NSE Nifty ended 1.38 percent 78.95 pts higher.