The benchmark indices continued their upward momentum in afternoon trade on Thursday, with the Sensex increasing by 215.69 points, or 0.26 percent, reaching 81,989.35, while the Nifty 50 rose by 96.20 points, or 0.38 percent, to 25,142.35 as of 1:05 PM.
The Sensex opened at 81,900.00, compared to its previous closing figure of 81,773.66, while the Nifty started the day at 25,074.30, compared to an earlier close of 25,046.15. Both indices remained in positive territory throughout the session as investors continued to assess developments in the ongoing earnings season.
Information technology and metal stocks fueled the rally for the second consecutive day. HCL Technologies emerged as the top gainer on the Nifty 50, rising 2.24 percent to ₹1,485.80. Similarly, JSW Steel saw an increase of 2.08 percent, reaching ₹1,169.00, and Tata Steel advanced by 2.04 percent to ₹175.44. InterGlobe Aviation gained 1.70 percent, trading at ₹5,731.00, while SBI Life Insurance rose by 1.44 percent to ₹1,798.40.
On the downside, Tata Motors led the decliners, decreasing by 1.14 percent to ₹673.80. Axis Bank fell by 1.11 percent to ₹1,167.50, while Maruti Suzuki dropped 0.78 percent to ₹15,887.00. Titan Company saw a decline of 0.61 percent to ₹3,544.00, and HDFC Bank slipped by 0.39 percent to ₹974.85.
The market breadth on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) remained negative, with 2,162 stocks declining compared to 1,871 gaining and 185 remaining unchanged. A total of 4,218 stocks were traded on the exchange. Additionally, 131 stocks reached their 52-week highs, while 124 hit 52-week lows. The trading session locked 194 stocks in the upper circuit and 165 in the lower circuit.
Sectoral indices presented a mixed performance. The Nifty Midcap 100 outperformed the benchmark, gaining 425.85 points, or 0.74 percent, to 58,289.75. The Nifty Next 50 saw an increase of 191.70 points, or 0.28 percent, to 68,333.80. The Nifty Bank index added 78.60 points, or 0.14 percent, reaching 56,112.25, while the Nifty Financial Services index advanced by 30.40 points, or 0.11 percent, to 26,693.30.
Trading activity remained cautious as participants evaluated quarterly earnings and monitored global market cues ahead of the close.
