Mumbai, June 6 -- Equity markets surged for the third straight session, riding high on a bigger-than-expected rate cut by the RBI, coupled with a CRR reduction. The rally was further boosted by upbeat cues from Asian markets. The Nifty closed above the 25,000 mark, with strong gains seen in realty, metal, and banking stocks.

The S&P BSE Sensex surged 746.95 points or 0.92% to 82,188.99. The Nifty 50 index jumped 252.15 points or 1.02% to 25,003.05. In the three trading sessions, the Sensex and Nifty have risen 1.8% and 1.88%, respectively.

Bajaj Finance (up 4.93%), JSW Steel (up 3.70%) and HDFC Bank (up 1.42%) boosted the indices.

In the broader market, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index rose 0.91% and the S&P BSE Small-Cap index added 0.43%. ...