Stock Market Ends Volatile Session With Modest Gains; Sensex Rises 260 Points, Nifty Holds 24,350

Indian equity benchmarks ended a choppy trading session with modest gains on Friday, supported by strength in IT, media, and oil & gas sectors. Despite sharp intraday fluctuations, investor sentiment remained largely positive, pushed by strong corporate earnings and global cues.

The BSE Sensex closed 259.75 points, or 0.32 per cent, higher at 80,501.99, while the NSE Nifty50 edged up by 12.50 points, or 0.05 per cent, to settle at 24,346.70.

Over the course of the week, the Sensex advanced 1.6 per cent and the Nifty50 gained 1.2 per cent, reflecting underlying strength in market fundamentals amid global and domestic developments.

Leading the gains on the Nifty were Adani Ports, IndusInd Bank, Bajaj Finance, Reliance Industries, and SBI. On the other hand, JSW Steel, Eicher Motors, Bajaj Auto, Hero MotoCorp, and HDFC Life closed in the red, dragging down broader market sentiment.

Broader Market Update

In the broader market, the BSE Midcap index slipped 0.4 per cent, while the Smallcap index ended flat, indicating some caution among investors in the mid and small-cap space.

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Sectorial Update

Sectorally, the day's gains were led by media, energy, IT, and oil & gas, all of which rose between 0.3 per cent and 0.7 per cent. Meanwhile, pressure was seen in power, metal, telecom, pharma, realty, and consumer durables, which fell by 0.5 per cent to 2 per cent.

Global cues were supportive as Wall Street rallied overnight, driven by upbeat earnings from major tech firms. European stocks were trading in the green, and Asian markets showed positive momentum after China hinted at possible trade discussions with the United States, raising hopes of easing tariff tensions.

In stock-specific developments, Adani Ports surged 4 per cent following a 47 per cent jump in consolidated Q4 profit, while PNB Housing Finance also rose 4 per cent after a large block deal involving 1.73 crore shares.

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