Indian equity markets maintained firm gains through early Friday trading, with benchmark indices continuing their positive momentum. According to Business Standard, BSE Sensex jumped 67.28 points or 0.09% to 78,352.35, while NSE Nifty50 rose 11.55 points or 0.05% to 24,440.55 as of 09:30 IST. The session has been marked by broad-based buying, improving market breadth, and continued strength in technology and healthcare stocks. However, broader markets underperformed with the BSE 150 MidCap Index declining 0.25% and the BSE 250 SmallCap Index falling 0.28%. Market breadth remained negative with 1,364 shares rising, 1,656 shares falling, and 178 unchanged on the BSE.
Sector-wise performance showed strong gains across technology, healthcare, and realty sectors, with the IT sector continuing to lead the rally. As reported by The Hindu BusinessLine, HCL Technologies remained the standout performer, surging 6.93% to ₹1,152.80 on volumes of over 89.71 lakh shares, with trade value crossing ₹1,01,768.97 lakh. Tech Mahindra held firm with a gain of 3.17% to ₹1,429.20, with over 20.76 lakh shares changing hands worth ₹29,642.20 lakh. The pharma and healthcare sectors added sectoral diversity to the rally, with Dr. Reddy's Laboratories rising 2.96% to ₹1,385.60 on volumes of 7.46 lakh shares valued at ₹10,255.34 lakh, and Max Healthcare climbing 2.72% to ₹1,156.00, with 9.23 lakh shares traded worth ₹10,578.23 lakh. Bajaj Finserv gained 2.55% to ₹1,903.00, with 14.93 lakh shares traded worth ₹28,276.63 lakh, bucking broader weakness in banking stocks. The IT sector's outperformance comes even as global semiconductor stocks remain under pressure, suggesting domestic investors are re-rating Indian technology companies on their own merits, driven in part by low valuations.
Banking stocks emerged as the primary drivers of Friday's midday rally, with Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, and Bharat Electricals leading the gains in the Nifty 50 pack. As reported by Dalal Street Investment Journal, buying interest in banking majors helped maintain positive sentiment throughout the session, with these stocks contributing significantly to the index's upward movement. The Nifty 50 advanced 153.95 points, or 0.63 per cent, to 24,424.80, while the Sensex gained 511.19 points, or 0.66 per cent, to 78,275.10 as of midday trading. This sustained optimism in select heavyweight banking stocks provided crucial support to the broader market momentum.
Market performance showed clear sectoral divergence during midday trading, with Nifty Realty, Nifty Auto, and Nifty Oil and Gas emerging as the strongest performers driven by sustained demand and sector-specific optimism. According to Dalal Street Investment Journal, Nifty IT and Nifty Media were the top laggards, dragging slightly on overall market breadth due to profit booking and weak sentiment in technology and media counters. In the broader market segment, the Nifty MidCap index rose 0.18 per cent, while the Nifty SmallCap index edged up 0.08 per cent, indicating selective participation beyond Large-Cap stocks. The mixed performance across sectors reflects selective investor interest and varying sectoral dynamics during the trading session.
Global market developments provided additional support to Indian equities, with Asian markets trading lower on Tuesday as investors looked ahead to the release of minutes from the latest US Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting. According to Business Standard, U.S. markets ended on a mixed note, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average surging 155.84 points or 0.29% for a record close of 53,055.91, while the S&P 500 gained 0.72% to 7,537.43 and the Nasdaq Composite advanced 1.12% to 26,121.16. Continued progress in U.S.–Iran negotiations has strengthened hopes of a diplomatic resolution, easing concerns over energy supply disruptions and providing support to risk assets. Market sentiment was significantly boosted by easing crude oil prices, with Brent crude for August 2026 settlement rising 45 cents or 0.63% to $72.44 per barrel, though this was lower than the previous session's levels. VK Vijayakumar from Geojit Investments noted that "the crash in crude to the pre-war level is the strongest macro support to the economy and the market."
