Sensex surges 646 pts; Nifty settles near 11,450

Equity indices finished higher on Thursday with the benchmark BSE sensex rising nearly 650 points led by gains in banking and financial stocks amid positive global cues. The 30-share BSE index surged 646 points or 1.69 per cent to close at 38,840; while the broader NSE Nifty settled near 11,450.