Indian equity markets closed in positive territory on Wednesday, led by advances in Capital Goods, Public Sector Undertakings and Metals names. At the National Stock Exchange, the Nifty 50 finished the session up 1.56%. On the Bombay Stock Exchange, the BSE Sensex 30 rose 1.65% by the close.
Top gainers and laggards
Among Nifty constituents, Trent Ltd (NSE:TREN) recorded the strongest gain, rising 6.86% or 226.10 points to end the session at 3,521.90. Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (NSE:APSE) climbed 5.63% or 73.90 points to close at 1,386.50, while Bharat Electronics Ltd (NSE:BAJE) added 4.82% or 19.30 points to finish at 419.95.
On the downside for the Nifty, Dr Reddy's Laboratories Ltd (NSE:REDY) fell 3.78% or 47.40 points to 1,207.50 at the close. HDFC Life Insurance Company Ltd (NSE:HDFL) declined 3.03% or 17.90 points to 572.70, and Cipla Ltd. (NSE:CIPL) was down 2.00% or 24.50 points to 1,199.70.
Mirroring the Nifty moves, the BSE Sensex 30 saw Adani Port and Special Economic Zone Ltd (BO:APSE) rise 5.53% to 1,386.00. IndusInd Bank Ltd. (BO:INBK) advanced 4.45% to settle at 786.30, and State Bank Of India (BO:SBI) gained 3.90% to close at 1,018.05. On the BSE, the weakest stocks included Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (BO:SUN), down 1.51% to 1,730.80, NTPC Ltd (BO:NTPC), off 1.47% to 365.50, and Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (BO:PGRD), which declined 0.89% to 293.55.
Market breadth and volatility
Advancing issues outpaced decliners by a wide margin on both exchanges. On the National Stock Exchange, 2,367 stocks rose, 192 fell and 21 finished unchanged. On the Bombay Stock Exchange, 3,594 issues gained, 475 declined and 90 were unchanged. The India VIX, a gauge of implied volatility for Nifty 50 options, eased 10.82% to 24.87.
Notably, shares of HDFC Life Insurance Company Ltd (NSE:HDFL) slid to 52-week lows, falling 3.03% or 17.90 to 572.70. Cipla Ltd. (NSE:CIPL) also reached a 52-week low, dropping 2.00% or 24.50 to 1,199.70.
Commodities and currencies
Precious metals and energy contracts showed mixed performance. Gold Futures for June delivery rose 1.66% or 77.65 to $4,756.25 a troy ounce. In energy markets, crude oil for May delivery fell 1.06% or 1.07 to $100.31 a barrel, while the June Brent contract eased 0.37% or 0.38 to trade at $103.59 a barrel.
In the currency market, USD/INR moved lower by 0.13% to 93.33, while EUR/INR rose 0.21% to 108.23. The US Dollar Index Futures declined 0.45% to 99.31.
What this means for markets
The session's gains were broad-based, with strong participation across exchanges and multiple sectors contributing to the rally. Volatility, as reflected by the India VIX, retreated even as some individual large-cap names hit 52-week lows, underscoring divergent performance within the market.