Indian stock markets maintained their upward momentum for the third consecutive session on Wednesday, with both the Sensex and Nifty closing higher.
The 30-share BSE Sensex touched an intra-day high of 75,568.38 before ending at 75,449.05, up 147.79 points or 0.20 per cent from the previous close. Similarly, the broader Nifty settled at 22,907.60, rising 73.30 points or 0.32 per cent. The index moved within a range of 22,940.70 and 22,807.95 during the session.
“Market sentiment remained buoyant, supported by mixed global cues and renewed optimism over a potential Russia-Ukraine truce,” said Vikram Kasat, Head of Advisory at PL Capital. He added that key global events, including the US Federal Reserve’s policy announcement, anticipated talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and former US President Donald Trump, and a surge in gold prices, also kept investors on edge.
Out of the Nifty 50 stocks, 33 closed in the green. Shriram Finance, HDFC Life, Apollo Hospitals, Tata Steel, and Power Grid Corporation were among the top gainers, posting gains of up to 3.91 per cent. Conversely, Tech Mahindra, Britannia, TCS, Infosys, and Sun Pharma were among the 17 laggards, with losses of up to 2.32 per cent.
Broader market indices outperformed the benchmarks. The Nifty Midcap100 and Nifty Smallcap100 indices each rallied over 2 per cent, reflecting strong buying interest in mid- and small-cap stocks.
Sector-wise, most indices on the NSE closed in positive territory, except for FMCG and IT, which ended lower.
The markets opened on a flat but slightly positive note on Wednesday, even as global markets showed signs of weakness. At the opening bell, the Sensex rose by 80.04 points or 0.11 per cent to 75,381.30, while the Nifty edged up by 15.25 points or 0.07 per cent to 22,849.55.
Meanwhile, the Indian rupee strengthened by 12 paise, closing at 86.44 against the US dollar, compared to the previous session’s close of 86.56.
—IANS
