Dalal Street ends higher as Sensex surges near 85,300 and Nifty closes above 26,000. Metal stocks lead gains amid positive global cues and strong domestic buying.

Indian equity markets ended Friday’s session on a strong note, with benchmark indices posting solid gains. The BSE Sensex surged over 450 points, briefly testing the 85,300 mark, while the Nifty 50 closed comfortably above 26,000, gaining nearly 150 points by the closing bell at 3:30 PM.

Market Opening and Momentum

In early trade, the Sensex opened at 85,119.68, up 301 points, while the Nifty started the session at 25,982.80, gaining 84 points at 9:15 AM. Buying momentum strengthened through the day, supported by sectoral gains and positive global cues.

Top Gainers and Laggards

Among the Sensex gainers, stocks like Tata Steel, UltraTech Cement, L&T, Maruti Suzuki, and Eternal led the rally. On the downside, State Bank of India, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Power Grid, Asian Paints, and ITC ended lower, weighing slightly on the index.

Broader Market Performance

The broader markets outperformed, with Nifty Midcap 100 and Nifty Midcap 150 rising 1.18% each. Sector-wise, Nifty Metal emerged as the top performer, jumping 2.63%, while Nifty FMCG slipped 0.24%.

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Global Markets and Crude Oil

Asian markets showed a mixed trend. Indices such as Japan’s Nikkei 225, South Korea’s Kospi, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng traded higher, while China’s Shanghai Composite remained under pressure.
US markets closed mostly positive overnight, extending recent gains. Meanwhile, Brent crude rose 0.64% to USD 61.69 per barrel.

FII and DII Activity

According to exchange data, Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) sold equities worth ₹2,020.94 crore on Thursday. In contrast, Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) remained net buyers, investing ₹3,796.07 crore, helping stabilize market sentiment.

Expert View

Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Financial Services, said that easing global cues and a decline in US 10-year Treasury yields helped improve sentiment and may reduce future FII outflows. He added that auto stocks outperformed on demand optimism, while IT stocks found support amid hopes of better global tech spending.

Ajit Mishra, SVP – Research at Religare Broking, noted that fresh buying in IT, auto, metals, realty, and banking stocks, along with a decline in India VIX, helped markets absorb recent profit-booking. He also highlighted strong domestic equity inflows of nearly ₹29,894 crore in November, indicating sustained investor confidence.