Indian share markets ended the session in positive territory on Wednesday, as sector advances in Consumer Durables, Real Estate and Metals helped push benchmark indices higher after the close.
At the National Stock Exchange close, the Nifty 50 was up 1.73%. The BSE Sensex 30 also moved higher, gaining 1.63% by the time trading wrapped up.
Top movers on the Nifty
On the Nifty 50, Shriram Finance Ltd. (NSE:SHMF) was the session's strongest performer, rising 5.78% - an increase of 52.20 points - to finish at 955.80. Titan Company Ltd (NSE:TITN) added 4.71%, or 183.60 points, closing at 4,083.10. Grasim Industries Ltd (NSE:GRAS) also posted notable gains, advancing 4.15%, or 105.70 points, to end at 2,655.10.
Lagging names on the Nifty
Among laggards on the Nifty, Tech Mahindra Ltd (NSE:TEML) declined 2.00%, a drop of 28.70 points, to close at 1,404.00. Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (NSE:PGRD) slipped 1.37%, or 4.10 points, to 294.90 at the close. Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. (NSE:TCS) ended the day down 0.87%, losing 20.80 points to finish at 2,378.00.
Sensex highlights
On the BSE Sensex 30, Titan Company Ltd (BO:TITN) was among the leaders, rising 4.59% to 4,081.00. UltraTech Cement Ltd (BO:ULTC) gained 4.39% to settle at 11,233.10, while Larsen & Toubro Ltd (BO:LART) climbed 4.00% to close at 3,656.00. The weaker names on the Sensex mirrored the Nifty, with Tech Mahindra Ltd (BO:TEML) down 1.87% to 1,406.05, Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (BO:PGRD) losing 1.42% to 294.95, and Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. (BO:TCS) down 0.87% to 2,378.00.
Market breadth and volatility
Advancers outnumbered decliners on both major exchanges. On the India National Stock Exchange, 1,893 issues rose, 667 declined and 41 finished unchanged. On the Bombay Stock Exchange, 2,735 stocks advanced, 1,329 declined and 141 were unchanged. The India VIX, which measures implied volatility of Nifty 50 options, eased 0.87% to 24.52 by the close.
Commodities and energy
In commodities, Gold Futures for June delivery rose 3.43% - an increase of 151.91 - to $4,586.01 a troy ounce. Crude oil prices moved lower: the May contract for delivery fell 4.99%, down 4.61, to $87.74 a barrel, and the June Brent oil contract declined 5.17%, down 5.18, to trade at $95.05 a barrel.
Currency and dollar index moves
In the foreign exchange market, USD/INR was marginally lower by 0.02%, at 93.99, while EUR/INR inched higher by 0.05% to 109.21. The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.11%, trading at 99.13.
The session closed with broad-based participation across sectors mentioned earlier, while select large-cap names accounted for much of the headline index moves.