New Year celebrations are continuing in the stock markets with benchmark Sensex scaling a new high of 20,465.30 points at closing level on the Bombay Stock Exchange, led by blue-chip stocks HDFC, Tata Motors and Reliance Energy The 30-share BSE barometer added 164.59 points over its previous close of 20,300.71 points to set the new closing level record.

The index touched the day's high of 20,529.48 points and a low of 20,077.40 points. The Sensex also hit an all-time intra-trade high of 20,529.48.

The broader S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange also jumped 35.05 points to close at a new life-time high of 6,179.40 from previous close of 6,144.35.

The market surged in the late afternoon trade on sustained across-the-board value buying from investors after showing some pressure due to to weakness in Asian markets, which were down in the range of about 1.0 to 2.3 per cent at close.

The market breadth was strong following widespread gains in the small-cap and the mid-cap shares.

However, analysts said the market has reached the 20,500 resistance level and is expected to correct downwards.

Crediting the upsurge to technical factors, brokers said there was shortage of scrips while liquidity remained comfortable in the market.

Rally was led by banks and realty sector with their indices moving up by 3.13 per cent and 2.93 per cent respectively. Stocks of the country's largest private sector lender ICICI Bank surged by 2.88 per cent. BSE Bankex rose to 11,870.49 while the realty index was up at 13,419.67 points.

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