Festive spirit lifts Sensex to a gain of 181 points

Festive spirits sparked strong buying in consumer durables banks, auto and realty stocks, helping the benchmark Sensex post a robust 181-point gain on Thursday to close at one-week high of 18,791.93, tracking positive trends in global markets.

The BSE benchmark index resumed in a quiet manner but gained momentum post-noon as investors pumped in fresh funds.