On Monday, the equity benchmark indices settled higher for the second consecutive session, lifted by the mega-merger of HDFC and HDFC Bank. A sharp fall in crude oil prices is predicted to have aided market sentiment. In the international markets, Brent crude oil contracted 14 per cent to $103.66 per barrel from around $121 a barrel last week.

 It was a disappointing second half of the session as Nifty lost nearly 200 points from its day’s high to close at 17,322.