Markets Stay In Green For Sixth Straight Session, Sensex Settles At 82K, Nifty Ends Nearly Flat

Indian stock markets witnessed heavy volatility on Thursday but managed to end the session in green. After starting the day on a positive note, both benchmarks pared their gains but remained in the positive territory during the session. The BSE Sensex ended the day at 82k, climbing close to 150 points, while the NSE Nifty50 settled nearly flat at 25,083, inching up about 33 points.

On the 30-share Sensex, Bajaj Finserv, ICICI Bank, Reliance, Bajaj Finance, and L&T settled among the gainers. On the other hand, PowerGrid, Eternal, HUL, Adani Ports, and NTPC ended among the laggards.

In the broader markets, the Nifty Midcap Select slipped 0.60 per cent. The VIX, volatility index, crashed 3.5 per cent. Sectorally, the Pharma index surged 0.95 per cent, while the Midsmall Financial Services index took a hit of more than 1 per cent.

Insurance stocks enjoyed a good run today after the GoM agreed to waive GST applicable on individual health and life insurance premiums. Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) sold Indian equities worth Rs 1,100 crore on Wednesday, marking a second straight day of outflows. However, Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) remained net buyers at Rs 1,806 crore, providing support to the market.

Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Financial Services, noted that the weak conclusion to Q1 results had prompted traders to take a cautious approach despite recent market gains.

GST Reforms Provide Policy Boost

In a significant policy development, the Group of Ministers (GoM) on GST rate rationalisation gave its approval to dismantle the existing four-tier structure and replace it with dual slabs of 5 per cent and 18 per cent. Market participants viewed this as a major reform milestone.

Siddhartha Khemka, Head of Research (Wealth Management) at Motilal Oswal Financial Services, said the move marked “the first major step in implementing the next-generation GST reforms announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day address”.

Khemka added that India’s record-high composite PMI for August, which highlights robust expansion in both manufacturing and services, particularly business activity, could offer near-term stability.

Looking ahead, analysts expect domestic equities to hold firm, supported by optimism over the proposed GST revamp and the prospect of stronger corporate earnings in the coming quarters.

Meanwhile, the rupee weakened by 0.17 to settle at 87.22, with traders factoring in the implications of the anticipated GST restructuring.

Notably, the indices enjoyed a decent opening rally this morning. The Sensex climbed over 200 points, while the Nifty crossed 25,100 as markets opened. Anand James of Geojit Financial Services noted, “A consolidation phase is likely as the index nears the upper Bollinger Band. While a breakdown is less probable, dips towards 25,000–24,977 cannot be ruled out before another upward move.”

business