MUMBAI– Indian equities closed higher on Thursday, stretching their winning streak to four straight sessions despite a sluggish start in morning trade.
The Sensex ended the day at 81,548.73, up 123.58 points or 0.15 percent. The 30-share index opened slightly lower at 81,217.30 compared with Wednesday’s close of 81,425.15 but rebounded quickly, hitting an intraday high of 81,642 — more than 400 points above the day’s low.
The Nifty50 also posted gains, finishing at 25,005.50, up 32.40 points or 0.13 percent.
“The Nifty50 has managed to close above the critical 25,000 level. The unexpected 50 percent tariff imposed by the U.S. initially dragged the index down to 24,400, but the market has since been recovering steadily,” said Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Financial Services. He attributed the rebound to optimism over the limited long-term impact on India’s economy, the government’s strategic response to U.S. policies, and recent domestic reforms such as GST rationalization.
Among Sensex gainers were NTPC, Axis Bank, PowerGrid, Bharti Airtel, Sun Pharma, SBI, Asian Paints, and TCS. On the losing side were Infosys, Titan, Ultratech Cement, Hindustan Unilever, BEL, Trent, Tata Motors, and Tech Mahindra.
Sectoral performance was mixed, with most indices edging higher. Nifty Financial Services rose 54 points (0.21 percent), Nifty Bank added 133 points (0.24 percent), and Nifty FMCG climbed 103 points (0.18 percent). However, Nifty Auto and Nifty IT closed lower. Broader indices were range-bound, with Nifty Smallcap 100 and Midcap 100 ending flat, while Nifty Next 50 and Nifty 100 registered modest gains.
The rupee weakened by 0.35 percent to 88.40 against the dollar amid uneven foreign institutional investor flows and a stronger dollar index.
“Focus remains on upcoming U.S. CPI data, which could influence dollar volatility and, in turn, impact the rupee. Crude prices have stayed volatile but in lower ranges, providing partial support,” said Jateen Trivedi of LKP Securities.
Analysts noted that market sentiment will remain sensitive to developments in U.S.-India trade talks, which could trigger sharper moves. For now, the rupee is expected to trade between 87.85–88.10 as support and 88.55–88.70 as resistance. (Source: IANS)
