Indian stock benchmarks bounced back emphatically Thursday, erasing losses from the prior three days. Sensex added 397.74 points or 0.49% to end at 82,307.37, with Nifty rising 132.40 points or 0.53% to 25,289.90.
A stellar performance from defence stocks fueled the upswing, as Nifty India Defence Index soared 2.67%. This was complemented by strong showings in PSU Banks (up 2.34%), Pharma (1.59%), PSE (1.51%), Commodities (1.25%), and Metals (1.18%).
Nifty Realty (-0.74%) and Consumer Durables (-0.87%) were the sole laggards among key indices.
In the Sensex pack, gainers dominated with BEL topping the chart, followed by Tata Steel, Adani Ports, SBI, Bajaj Finserv, Asian Paints, Power Grid, Sun Pharma, Kotak Mahindra, HUL, Indigo, HCL Tech, NTPC, Trent, TCS, and UltraTech. Drag came from Eternal, Titan, ICICI Bank, Maruti Suzuki, and HDFC Bank.
The positive momentum spilled over to midcaps (Nifty Midcap 100 +1.34% at 58,191.30) and smallcaps (Nifty Smallcap 100 +0.76% at 16,677.25).
NSE data showed broad-based buying: 2,344 advances, 849 declines, 74 steady.
Positive vibes from Donald Trump’s statements on tariffs and Greenland provided the spark, experts noted. Countering this, rupee weakness versus USD and persistent FII selling fostered vigilance.
Upcoming US GDP and inflation figures are expected to influence sentiment. Trading commenced on a firm note, Sensex opening at 82,459.66 (prev. 81,909.63) and Nifty at 25,344.15 (prev. 25,157.50).
This rebound highlights defence sector’s growing clout and market’s ability to shrug off headwinds.