Sensex Ends Higher, Nifty Slips as Volatile Session Closes Near 24,400

Indian equity benchmarks ended a choppy session on a mixed note Thursday, with the Sensex breaking a two-day losing streak even as the Nifty extended its decline for a third consecutive session.

The BSE Sensex climbed 113.61 points, or 0.15%, to close at 78,079.96, while the NSE Nifty 50 slipped 40.10 points, or 0.16%, to settle at 24,395.85. The Nifty recovered from an intraday low of 24,311.40 as buyers stepped in at lower levels, helping the index claw back most of its early losses by the close.

The session's divergence between the two headline indices reflected uneven sector performance through the day. Selling pressure in metal, private bank and financial stocks weighed on the Nifty, while gains in FMCG, information technology and chemical shares provided support to the Sensex. Larsen & Toubro, Eternal and TCS were among the more prominent contributors to the Sensex's gains, each rising roughly 1% or more.

Broader markets outperformed the frontline indices, a pattern that has repeated on several sessions this month. The BSE MidCap index added 0.18% and the BSE SmallCap index edged up 0.02%, suggesting investor appetite for stock-specific opportunities outside the largest companies remained intact even as the blue-chip gauges moved in opposite directions.

Corporate earnings continued to drive individual stock moves. Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles shares jumped more than 3% after the company reported an 83% rise in Q1 FY27 consolidated net profit to Rs 2,556 crore, helped in part by mark-to-market gains on its stake in Tata Capital, alongside a 19.3% rise in revenue. Other gainers included Tata Consumer Products, Tech Mahindra, Bharat Electronics and Eternal. On the losing side, Hindalco Industries, Grasim Industries, UltraTech Cement, ICICI Bank and Titan Company were among the day's biggest drags, with Reliance Industries also ending lower.

The session unfolded against a backdrop of persistent global uncertainty. Markets opened cautiously amid continuing tension in the Middle East and elevated crude oil prices, factors that have weighed intermittently on Indian equities for weeks given India's heavy reliance on imported oil. A weekly expiry of derivatives contracts on the BSE added to the day's choppiness, with the Sensex trading in a relatively narrow, subdued band for stretches of the session even as European markets advanced.

With more than 693 companies scheduled to report June-quarter results around this period, earnings-driven volatility in individual stocks is likely to remain a dominant theme for Indian markets in the sessions ahead. Investors are also keeping a close watch on crude oil trends and developments around the Strait of Hormuz, given their potential to influence inflation and interest rate expectations domestically.

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