Indian equity benchmarks ended higher on Thursday, recovering from the previous session's sharp decline, though late-session profit booking trimmed gains before the closing bell.
The BSE Sensex settled at 76,782.14, advancing 278.54 points, or 0.36 per cent, while the NSE Nifty 50 closed at 23,972.65, up 90.60 points, or 0.38 per cent.
According to SBI Securities, domestic equities staged a healthy rebound after Wednesday's steep sell-off. However, selling pressure in the final hour of trade limited the gains in both the Sensex and Nifty to around 0.3 per cent.
The broader market outperformed the benchmark indices, with the Nifty Midcap 100 and Nifty Smallcap 100 ending 1.4 per cent and 1.8 per cent higher, respectively. On the sectoral front, all NSE indices except Auto and IT finished in the green, with Nifty Realty emerging as the top performer after surging 3.5 per cent.
SBI Securities attributed the market's recovery to the International Monetary Fund's latest assessment, which reaffirmed India as one of the world's fastest-growing major economies despite persistent global uncertainties. "Market recovery was largely supported by the IMF's latest assessment that India remains among the fastest-growing major economies despite a challenging global environment. While the IMF marginally lowered its FY27 growth forecast to 6.4% from 6.5% earlier, the resilience of domestic demand, strength in services activity and an upgrade to its FY28 growth outlook (from 6.5% to 6.7%) reinforced confidence in India's medium-term growth trajectory," the brokerage said.
It added that the IMF had also pointed to stronger-than-expected recent economic data and encouraging high-frequency indicators, suggesting that the country's underlying economic momentum remains resilient. Market experts noted that the benchmark indices managed to close above crucial support levels, indicating that the broader market structure continues to remain positive despite intermittent volatility.
Riyank Arora, Associate Vice President-HNI & Derivatives at Hedged.in, said, "Indian equity markets ended higher in today's session, extending their positive momentum as buying interest emerged across key sectors. The benchmark indices managed to close above important support levels, keeping the broader market structure positive."
Also read: ADB cuts Asia-Pacific growth forecast to 4.9 pc for 2026
Sharing his technical outlook, Arora said, "Immediate support is placed around 76,500-76,300, while resistance is seen near 76,900-77,100. A breakout above this range could strengthen the ongoing bullish trend."
Indian markets mirrored mixed cues from across Asia. Japan's Nikkei 225 climbed 1.99 per cent to close at 68,175.00, while Singapore's Straits Times Index gained 1.18 per cent to 5,433.88. The GIFT Nifty also traded 0.44 per cent higher at 23,983.50, indicating positive sentiment.
In contrast, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index and Taiwan's Weighted Index traded lower, reflecting subdued investor sentiment in parts of the region.
Looking ahead, Arora said the domestic market continues to display resilience despite periodic bouts of volatility.
"As long as benchmark indices hold above their key support levels, the broader outlook remains constructive. Traders may continue to adopt a buy-on-dips strategy while maintaining disciplined risk management," he said.
In the commodities market, Brent crude futures were trading 0.10 per cent higher at USD 78.10 per barrel, while gold prices gained 0.85 per cent to USD 4,109.91 per ounce.
Meanwhile, global market cues remained mixed. Dow Jones Futures slipped 0.04 per cent to 52,326.73 points, while Nasdaq Futures edged up 0.20 per cent to 25,870.65 points.
Follow us
