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The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) Sensex climbed 0.14 percent or 23.04 points, Thursday, as market investors showed low appetite for risks, waiting warily for corporate results and central bank's monetary policy review next week.

The benchmark 30-share sensitivity index closed at at 16,721.08 points with 15 components gaining. The index touched an intraday high of 16,844.02 and a low of 16,668.60.

The index, which hit a record high of 21,206.77 on Jan. 10, is down about 17.6 percent this year.

The top performer of the day was Hindustan Unilever (HUL) which gained 3.12 percent to Rs.249.35.

IT stocks Infosys Technologies, Satyam Computer Services, Wipro and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) advanced 2.86 percent, 2.06 percent, 1.46 percent and 0.01 percent to Rs.1693.05, Rs.439.30, Rs.449.55 and Rs.889.95 respectively.

Among financial stocks, ICICI Bank, Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) and HDFC Bank surged 1.42 percent, 0.98 percent and 0.23 percent to Rs.876.40, Rs.2589.35 and Rs.1446.15 respectively.

Engineering and construction major Larsen & Toubro and top listed Reliance Industries (RIL) soared 1.36 percent and 0.14 percent to Rs.2941.30 and Rs.2580.90 respectively. The two stocks contribute to almost a quarter of the weight of the main index.

Other gainers were Jaiprakash Associates (up 1.29 percent to Rs.246.45), BHEL (up 1.19 percent to Rs.1848.60), Tata Motors (up 0.54 percent to Rs.638.70), Ambuja Cements (up 0.17 percent to Rs.115.20) and Hindalco (up 0.08 percent to Rs.188.20).

The worst performer of the day was ACC which ended down 5.49 percent to Rs.798.10.

Telecom giants Reliance Communications and Bharti Airtel declined 2.89 percent and 0.16 percent to Rs.532.80 and Rs.844.20 respectively.