The Sensex rallied over 1,400 points in early trades and closed 1,264 points (1.6%) higher at 78,111 points as hopes of peace in West Asia lifted investor sentiment globally. According to reports from The Times of India, the slide in crude prices to around $95/barrel level acted as the biggest booster for the domestic market. The rally was supported by optimism around potential US–Iran talks about extending the ensuing two-week ceasefire, which drove oil prices below $100 as expectations of talks outweighed concerns over supply disruption. At around 9:15 AM, the Sensex was up by around 1,300 points (1.7%) to trade at 78,161.80, while the Nifty 50 was trading higher by around 380 points (1.9%) at 24,223.60. The primary catalyst was US President Donald Trump's announcement that peace talks with Iran could resume within two to three days, with top officials from Pakistan and Iran also indicating that negotiations may restart. Reports of resumed peace talks between the US and Iran in Islamabad have sent ripples of relief through global markets, with India reaping significant rewards from this geopolitical shift.
Wednesday's session marked a rare day for foreign funds to remain net buyers, with foreign portfolio investors recording a net inflow of ₹666 crore. As reported by The Times of India, this was the second such instance since the war started on February 28, with April 12 being the first day when foreign funds had recorded a net buying figure of ₹1,507 crore. The day's session made investors richer by ₹9.4 lakh crore, with BSE's market capitalisation now at ₹458.6 lakh crore. On NSE, the Nifty followed a similar trajectory to close 389 points (1.6%) up at 24,231 points. Bank Nifty was up by around 1.9% to trade at 56,660.90, while Fin Nifty was also up by around 1.86% to trade at 26,527.35. Market breadth remained strongly positive with about 2,327 stocks opening in the green, whereas only 377 stocks were in the red, with 154 shares remaining unchanged. The BSE Sensex surged past the 78,000 mark as every single sector traded in the green, from IT giants to public sector banks, with buying interest widespread across the market.
The market rally was broad-based with top gainers on Nifty including Interglobe Aviation, UltraTech Cement, Asian Paints, Shriram Finance, and Hindalco Industries. However, Dr Reddy's Labs, ONGC, and Coal India were among the losers. According to Kotak Neo, the Gift Nifty was trading higher by 1.37% near 24,203 before the market opening, indicating a firm start by the Indian indices. The positive sentiment was supported by the Indian National Rupee (INR) gaining 0.2% to open higher at 93.17 per US dollar, with the rupee closing at 93.39 against the dollar in the previous session. 24-carat gold is trading at approximately ₹15,409 per gram in major hubs like Delhi, with silver down about ₹100 per kilogram in the Delhi retail market, though it remains priced at a staggering ₹2,54,900 per kg. Heavyweight financial and technology stocks are leading the list of top gainers, with Interglobe Aviation emerging as a key outperformer, jumping 3.46% to ₹4,582.60, supported by improving fuel margin outlook due to softer oil prices. The IT sector is also staging a solid comeback, with Infosys advancing 3.32% to ₹1,319.70 and TCS climbing 3.14% to ₹2,550.35, while HCL Tech has risen 2.72% and UltraTech Cement gained 2.36%.
Across international markets, Hong Kong's Hang Seng climbed 0.7% while Shanghai Composite climbed 0.1%. According to Kotak Neo, Nikkei 225 futures (OSE) climbed 0.5%, with S&P 500 futures neutral as of 12:07 PM Tokyo time. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 was neutral, while Euro Stoxx 50 futures dropped 0.1%. In early trades in the US, major indices showed mixed trends with Dow Jones index down 0.5%, while Nasdaq Composite was up 1.1% and S&P was up a marginal 0.5%. The positive global cues provided additional support to the domestic market rally. Crude oil prices are showing signs of stabilizing on April 15, 2026, with Brent crude hovering near USD 94.67 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) trading around USD 90.72 per barrel. This comes after a highly volatile first quarter, during which prices had surged to nearly USD 118 amid the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz and rising tensions in the Middle East. Japan's Nikkei 225 climbed 2.32% while South Korea's KOSPI surged 3.06%, reflecting strong buying interest. Brent crude dipping toward $93 has eased the immediate threat of an energy-led inflation spike for the Indian economy, with fuel prices in India remaining unchanged as of 6:00 AM today despite the volatility in crude.
Despite the risk-on mood in the stock market, gold has not lost its luster today, with 24-carat gold trading at approximately ₹15,409 per gram in major hubs like Delhi. According to market tracking, silver is having a rougher morning, down about ₹100 per kilogram in the Delhi retail market, though it remains priced at a staggering ₹2,54,900 per kg. Analysts note that while immediate geopolitical pressure has eased, underlying demand for physical gold in India remains robust due to the upcoming wedding season, with prices expected to remain range-bound between ₹15,200 and ₹15,500 in the short term. The Rupee has also strengthened to ₹93.2 against the US Dollar, further supporting the bullish sentiment on Dalal Street. Food inflation rose to 3.87% recently, creating mixed signals for consumers, as while onions and potatoes have dropped significantly with onions down nearly 27% compared to last year, this relief is being cancelled out by tomatoes and cauliflower seeing a sharp spike in costs. The FAO Dairy Price Index rose 1.2% recently, with the first increase since mid-2025, potentially leading to marginal price hikes in milk and butter.
