The domestic stock markets staged a robust rally, today, as markets acros the globe gained ground, and the rupee hardened sharply against the dollar. The Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange spurted a solid 500 points, or 1.8 percent, to an 11-month closing high of 27,627. The Nifty at the National Stock Exchange surged 145 points, to also settle at an 11-month high of 8,468. Other key Asian markets in Japan, China, Hong Kong, South Korea and Singapore climbed between 0.3 percent and 4 percent. Major European bourses in the UK, Germany and France logged strong gains of between one percent and 1.5 percent. And at the forex market, the rupee strengthened 24 paise, to 67.13 against the dollar.