Closing market update: Indian equity benchmarks ended higher on Friday, rebounding near their day’s highs in the final hour of trade, as gains in IT, pharma, and FMCG stocks helped offset global uncertainty linked to impending U.S. tariff actions under former President Donald Trump’s proposals.
The BSE Sensex closed at 83,432.89, up 193.42 points or 0.23 per cent, while the Nifty 50 settled at 25,461, gaining 55.7 points or 0.22 per cent. Both indices rallied sharply in the final stretch of trade after staying rangebound for most of the session.
In the broader markets, the Nifty Midcap 100 index rose 0.04 per cent, and the Smallcap 100 gained 0.11 per cent, indicating muted but positive sentiment beyond the large-cap space.
Buying interest was visible in major index heavyweights including Bajaj Finance, Infosys, Hindustan Unilever, HCL Technologies, Eternal (Zomato), TCS, and ICICI Bank. These stocks helped lift the Sensex as investor sentiment improved. On the downside, Trent, Tech Mahindra, Tata Steel, Maruti Suzuki, Mahindra & Mahindra, Asian Paints, and Sun Pharma were among the top laggards.
Sectorally, Nifty IT led the gainers with a rise of 0.83 per cent, followed by strength in pharma, FMCG, auto, consumer durables, and banking stocks. However, Nifty Metal remained under pressure and ended in the red due to weakness in global commodities.
Markets remained cautious for most of the day as investors tracked global cues, especially the potential impact of U.S. tariff policies. With key geopolitical developments on the horizon, analysts expect volatility to remain elevated in the coming sessions.
