At the stock markets, the Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange climbed 257 points, or 0.5 percent, to close at 49,206, today. The Nifty at the National Stock Exchange advanced 98 points, or 0.7 percent, to 14,823. In the broader market, the BSE Mid-cap index ended flat while the Small-cap index gained 0.2 percent.