MUMBAI — Indian equity markets advanced for the third consecutive session this week on Wednesday, driven by sustained buying in information technology, pharmaceutical, and automobile stocks amid improved global and domestic sentiment.
The benchmark Sensex closed at 84,466.51, rising 595.19 points, or 0.71 percent. The 30-share index opened sharply higher at 84,238.86, up from the previous close of 83,871.32, and climbed further to an intra-day high of 84,652.01 amid strong buying in heavyweight IT and auto counters.
The Nifty 50 also finished higher at 25,875.80, up 180.85 points, or 0.70 percent.
“Global equities rallied on renewed risk appetite, driven by optimism over the anticipated resolution of the U.S. government shutdown and growing expectations of early Fed cuts amid signs of a cooling U.S. labor market,” said Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Financial Services.
Nair added that emerging markets have benefited from the improved sentiment, while India’s own strong macroeconomic fundamentals — including moderating inflation, a robust GDP outlook, and healthy second-half FY26 earnings expectations — continue to support domestic market momentum.
Among Sensex gainers were TCS, Adani Ports, Bharti Airtel, Infosys, and Sun Pharma. Meanwhile, Tata Steel and Tata Motors (both passenger and commercial vehicle divisions) closed in the red.
Sectorally, the rally remained broad-based. Nifty IT jumped 738 points (2.04 percent), Nifty Auto rose 336 points (1.24 percent), Nifty Bank gained 136 points (0.23 percent), and Nifty Financial Services edged up 82 points (0.12 percent).
The broader markets mirrored the upbeat tone. The Nifty Smallcap 100 gained 149 points (0.82 percent), the Nifty Midcap 100 rose 475 points (0.79 percent), and the Nifty 100 advanced 160 points (0.61 percent).
On the currency front, the rupee eased slightly by 6 paise to close at 88.62 against the U.S. dollar in a subdued session, trading within a narrow range as investors awaited key economic data. The dollar index hovered around 99.60, showing little movement.
Analysts expect the rupee to remain range-bound between 88.40 and 88.85 until fresh cues emerge from upcoming U.S. inflation data, which could shape the near-term trajectory for the dollar and emerging market currencies. (Source: IANS)
