India’s stock markets closed the week on a strong note, with benchmark indices hitting a three-week high. The S&P BSE Sensex added 356 points to finish at 81,904.70, while the NSE Nifty50 rose 108.50 points to close at 25,114.00. The gains were driven largely by rallies in financial and metal sector stocks, as investor sentiment was buoyed by a mix of domestic and global developments.
Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Investments, noted that renewed optimism over a potential Federal Reserve rate cut supported the market. Positive signals from U.S.-India trade discussions, coupled with reports that the EU may reject U.S. tariff proposals on India for buying Russian oil, further lifted investor confidence. Additionally, the defence sector outperformed, as negotiations began for the procurement of six next-generation conventional submarines.
Among individual stocks, Bharat Electronics led the gainers with a 3.67% rise, followed by Bajaj Finance (3.41%), Bajaj Finserv (2.38%), Axis Bank (1.64%), and Maruti (1.35%). On the downside, Eternal dropped 2.01%, Hindustan Unilever fell 1.43%, Trent declined 0.79%, Titan went down 0.61%, and Bharti Airtel edged lower by 0.51%.
Sectoral performance was broadly positive, with Nifty Metal leading with a 0.93% gain, followed by Nifty Financial Services (0.82%), Nifty Pharma (0.63%), Nifty Auto (0.46%), Nifty Healthcare (0.43%), Nifty Private Bank (0.41%), Nifty IT (0.30%), and Nifty PSU Bank (0.27%). Nifty Realty, Oil & Gas, and Consumer Durables also posted marginal gains. Only Nifty FMCG (-0.71%) and Nifty Media (-0.39%) faced selling pressure.
Midcap and smallcap indices also participated in the rally, with Nifty Midcap100 gaining 0.32% and Nifty Smallcap100 rising 0.64%. Market volatility eased, reflected in a 2.29% drop in the India VIX, underscoring improved investor confidence. Overall, the market closed the week with broad-based gains, supported by positive domestic factors and favorable global cues.
