Indian equity markets ended Wednesday’s session on a firm note, shrugging off intraday volatility as investor sentiment was lifted by optimism surrounding the proposed India–European Union Free Trade Agreement and steady corporate earnings updates.
The BSE Sensex closed at 82,345, rising 487 points, or 0.60 per cent. The benchmark witnessed sharp swings through the day, oscillating between an intraday high of 82,504 and a low of 81,815, reflecting cautious but positive trading cues.
The NSE Nifty also finished in the green, settling at 25,343, up 167 points or 0.66 per cent. The index slipped to a day’s low of 25,188 before rebounding strongly in the latter half of the session, after touching a high of 25,372.
Stock-specific action dominated the market. Bharat Electronics Limited stood out as the star performer, rallying close to 9 per cent to top the gainers on both the Sensex and the Nifty. Buying interest was also seen in heavyweight and cyclical stocks such as ONGC, Coal India, Hindalco, Bajaj Finance, Power Grid, Adani Enterprises, Trent, Mahindra & Mahindra, Cipla and Shriram Finance, which collectively supported the broader market uptrend.
However, gains were capped by weakness in select consumer and pharma names. Tata Consumer Products slipped 4.5 per cent, while Asian Paints, Maruti Suzuki, Sun Pharma, Max Healthcare, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, Infosys and Eicher Motors also closed lower, shedding up to 4.2 per cent.
Broader markets outperformed the frontline indices, indicating increased risk appetite among investors. The Nifty Midcap 100 index advanced 1.66 per cent, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 climbed a sharper 2.26 per cent.
Sector-wise, public sector stocks led the rally. The Nifty CPSE index surged 5 per cent, emerging as the top sectoral gainer. Energy and commodity-linked sectors also saw strong momentum, with the Nifty Oil and Gas index rising 3.4 per cent and the Nifty Metal index gaining 2.3 per cent. Banking stocks joined the rally as well, with the Nifty PSU Bank index adding 1.7 per cent.
Overall, the session reflected a cautiously optimistic tone, as investors balanced global trade developments and domestic earnings cues while selectively accumulating stocks across sectors.
