Sensex Extends Gains For Second Day, Blue-Chip Buying And Foreign Fund Inflows Lift Markets

Mumbai: Indian benchmark indices ended higher for the second consecutive session on Thursday, supported by late buying in blue-chip stocks, sustained foreign institutional investment and encouraging corporate earnings.

The 30-share BSE Sensex gained 273.55 points, or 0.35 percent, to close at 77,928.15. The NSE Nifty advanced 66.95 points, or 0.28 percent, to settle at 24,317.15.

Volatile Trade

Markets witnessed sharp swings throughout the session as investors assessed global economic signals and West Asian tensions.

The Sensex touched an intraday high of 78,007.09 and a low of 77,440.91, moving within a wide range of 566.18 points. Buying during the closing hours helped the indices finish in positive territory.

Maruti Suzuki, Mahindra & Mahindra, Reliance Industries, State Bank of India, HDFC Bank and Power Grid were among the major Sensex gainers.

Adani Ports, InterGlobe Aviation, Bajaj Finserv and Bharat Electronics ended among the key laggards.

Foreign Support

Foreign institutional investors purchased Indian equities worth ₹2,981.87 crore on Wednesday, according to exchange data. The strengthening of foreign fund flows and a firmer rupee helped improve domestic market sentiment.

Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Investments, said the US Federal Reserve’s decision to maintain the status quo on interest rates was widely anticipated.

However, its continued emphasis on controlling inflation retained a hawkish tone. Rising US bond yields also increased concerns over the possibility of another interest rate increase, keeping global investors cautious.

Global Signals

Domestic shares remained range-bound for much of the session as investors weighed international headwinds against resilient economic fundamentals and encouraging Q1FY27 corporate results.

Volatility in crude oil prices amid continuing West Asian tensions added to uncertainty. Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, rose 0.45 percent to USD 91.15 per barrel.

In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng closed higher, while South Korea’s KOSPI and China’s Shanghai Composite declined. European markets traded higher after US equities ended sharply lower on Wednesday.

In the previous session, the Sensex had surged 888.68 points, while the Nifty gained 264.85 points.