From Mrs Bectors Food to Vedanta: Stocks that moved the most on December 24

Indian indices ended higher on Thursday led by gains mainly in heavyweight RIL and banking, financial stocks. The sentiment was also lifted by a rally in global peers on news that a Brexit trade deal was imminent boosted global sentiment ahead of the Christmas holiday.

The Sensex ended 529 points higher to settle at its closing high of 46,973 while the Nifty rose 148 points to end at 13,749. Broader markets were mixed for the day with the midcap index up 0.2 percent and the smallcap index up 0.9 percent.

Among sectors, The Nifty Bank and Nifty Fin Services rose the most, up over 1.7 percent each while Nifty Pharma added 1.2 percent. The auto and FMCG indices also gained 0.4 percent each and Nifty Metal rose 0.3 percent. However, Nifty IT lost 0.6 percent for the day.

Mrs Bectors Food: The biscuit maker more than doubled, rising nearly 107 percent in their market debut. The stock listed at Rs 500 today, compared to its issue price of Rs 288 (a 73.6 percent premium) before going onto hit Rs 601, or a 20 percent upper circuit compared to the listing price.

Vedanta: The stock surged over 8 percent after 19.1 crore shares (5.1 percent equity) worth Rs 3,042 crore changed hands via block deals on the BSE and NSE. As per reports, promotors of the firm were looking to acquire around a 5 percent stake in the firm. This will raise promotors' stake in the company to 55.04 percent from 50.14 percent. As per SEBI norms, promoters holding more than 25 percent but less than 75 percent are allowed to acquire up to 5 percent a year through such creeping acquisition.

ACC and Ambuja Cements: Shares of Holcim-promoted cement companies – Ambuja Cements and ACC – rose 4 percent and 2 percent, respectively after the companies received board approval for paying technology fees to their parent company, Holcim Ltd. The TKH fees with the foreign promoter Holcim has been kept at 1 per cent of net sales every year for two years with effect from January 1, 2021.

Orient Bell: The stock surged 9 percent after Equity Intelligence India & Porinju Veliyath increased shareholding in the company to 5.02 percent from 4.91 percent earlier. Porinju Veliyath's Equity Intelligence India on June 18, 2020, acquired around half a percent equity stake in the company through open market purchases.

Vodafone Idea: The stock fell over 4 percent after media reports said India had challenged the international arbitration court’s ruling in favour of Vodafone Plc in the retrospective tax case.