MUMBAI— Indian equities ended sharply higher on Wednesday, driven by value buying across key sectors including banking, financial services, automobiles, and healthcare. Positive global sentiment, particularly optimism surrounding a potential U.S.-Japan trade deal, further boosted investor confidence.
The BSE Sensex surged 539.83 points, or 0.66%, to close at 82,726.64. The 30-share index opened on a strong note at 82,451.87 and touched an intraday high of 82,786.43, supported by buying in heavyweights like Tata Motors, Bharti Airtel, and ICICI Bank.
Meanwhile, the NSE Nifty 50 advanced 159 points, or 0.63%, to finish at 25,219.90.
Ashika Institutional Equities noted the session was marked by solid gains in Banking, Financial Services, Automobiles, Healthcare, and Information Technology, though some pressure was seen in Realty, Media, Consumer Goods, and Metals—highlighting a sectoral divide in the market.
Investor optimism globally was buoyed by encouraging signals related to the U.S.-Japan trade agreement, raising hopes for broader international cooperation.
Among the top gainers on the Sensex were Tata Motors, Bharti Airtel, Bajaj Finance, Maruti Suzuki, Bajaj Finserv, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Asian Paints, and SBI. On the downside, Hindustan Unilever, Infosys, and Ultratech Cement closed in the red.
Of the Nifty 50 stocks, 37 advanced while 13 declined.
Sectoral indices also reflected the bullish sentiment. Nifty Bank gained 454 points (0.80%), Nifty Auto rose 203 points (0.85%), and Nifty IT edged up 92.60 points (0.25%). However, Nifty FMCG ended lower.
Broader markets participated in the rally as well. Nifty Next 50 jumped 159 points, Nifty 100 rose 0.55% (142 points), and Nifty Midcap 100 gained 203 points (0.34%). Nifty Smallcap 100 ended flat.
The Indian rupee traded flat near 86.40 against the U.S. dollar, moving just 0.01%. The dollar index also held steady around 97.40 as investors awaited cues from next week’s U.S. Federal Reserve interest rate decision.
“Domestic markets rose 0.65% amid stable global cues. Fed Chair Powell’s recent remarks helped keep the dollar range-bound. The rupee is likely to trade between 85.80 and 86.70 in the near term,” said Jateen Trivedi of LKP Securities. (Source: IANS)
