MUMBAI– Indian equity benchmarks extended their winning streak to a fourth consecutive session on Thursday, closing with modest gains after a choppy start.
The Sensex ended at 81,548.73, up 123.58 points, or 0.15 percent. The 30-share index opened slightly lower at 81,217.30, compared to Wednesday’s close of 81,425.15, before rebounding into positive territory. During the day, it touched a high of 81,642, more than 400 points above its intraday low.
The Nifty 50 also finished higher, closing at 25,005.50, up 32.40 points, or 0.13 percent.
“The Nifty50 index has closed above the critical threshold of 25,000. The unexpected imposition of a 50 percent tariff on India by the U.S. initially dragged the index down to 24,400. However, it has steadily recovered from that decline,” said Vinod Nair, head of research at Geojit Financial Services.
Nair attributed the recovery to expectations of limited impact on the domestic economy, the Indian government’s strong strategic response to U.S. trade policies, and reforms such as the Goods and Services Tax (GST), which are expected to cushion long-term effects.
Among Sensex constituents, top gainers included NTPC, Axis Bank, PowerGrid, Bharti Airtel, Sun Pharma, SBI, Asian Paints, and TCS. On the losing side were Infosys, Titan, Ultratech Cement, Hindustan Unilever, BEL, Trent, Tata Motors, and Tech Mahindra.
Sectorally, most indices ended higher. Nifty Financial Services rose 54 points (0.21 percent), Nifty Bank gained 133 points (0.24 percent), and Nifty FMCG added 103 points (0.18 percent). Nifty Auto and Nifty IT slipped into the red.
Broader markets remained subdued, with the Nifty Smallcap 100 and Nifty Midcap 100 ending flat, while the Nifty Next 50 and Nifty 100 closed with gains.
The rupee weakened 0.35 percent to 88.40 against the dollar, pressured by mixed foreign inflows and a firm U.S. dollar index.
“Focus remains on the U.S. CPI data, which could drive volatility in the dollar and, in turn, the rupee,” said Jateen Trivedi of LKP Securities. “Crude prices stayed volatile but in lower ranges, offering partial support.”
Analysts said investor sentiment remains closely tied to developments in the ongoing India-U.S. trade talks. The rupee is expected to trade in a range of 87.85–88.10 on the downside and 88.55–88.70 on the upside. (Source: IANS)
