MUMBAI, India — Indian equity benchmarks closed marginally higher on Friday, trimming most of their intraday gains amid profit-taking in the latter half of the session, as markets wrapped up the week on a cautiously positive note.
The Sensex rose 187 points, or 0.23 percent, to settle at 83,570, while the Nifty gained 28 points, or 0.11 percent, to close at 25,694.
Broader markets moved largely in line with the benchmarks. The Nifty Midcap 100 slipped 0.07 percent, while the NSE Smallcap 100 declined 0.34 percent.
The Nifty opened flat at 25,696 and climbed to an intraday high of 25,873, driven by a rally in information technology stocks following stronger-than-expected December quarter results. However, the index failed to hold higher levels and slid to a day’s low of 25,662, reflecting profit-booking at elevated valuations.
Sectorally, IT, realty, and banking stocks outperformed the broader market. The Nifty IT index emerged as the top gainer, jumping 3.34 percent. In contrast, Nifty Pharma and consumer durables fell 1.30 percent and 1.15 percent, respectively.
The Nifty Bank index also advanced about 0.84 percent to close at 60,082, moving closer to a potential new record high.
Analysts said IT stocks led the gains after a major sector bellwether raised its revenue growth outlook, boosting expectations of increased global technology spending. Banking stocks also attracted buying interest, supported by early earnings indicators showing improvements in asset quality and margin profiles.
In the derivatives segment, market breadth was marginally positive, with 131 stocks advancing against 82 declines.
Market participants said better-than-expected corporate earnings for the third quarter of FY26 could drive stock-specific moves in the coming sessions, although foreign institutional investor selling is likely to persist in the near term. (Source: IANS)
