Mkts traded in a volatile yet narrow range and settled marginally higher amid mixed cues

Mumbai

Benchmarkequity indices Sensex and Nifty ended higher on Thursday, driven by a rally in blue-chip stocks Reliance Industries, HDFC Bank and foreign fund inflows.

In a volatile session, the 30-share BSE Sensex ended 273.55 points, or 0.35 per cent, higher at 77,928.15, helped by fag-end buying. During the day, it hit a high of 78,007.09 and a low of 77,440.91, gyrating 566.18 points. The 50-share NSE Nifty advanced by 66.95 points, or 0.28 per cent, to end at 24,317.15.

From the Sensex pack, Maruti Suzuki, Mahindra & Mahindra, Reliance Industries, State Bank of India, HDFC Bank and Power Grid were among the major winners. Adani Ports, InterGlobe Aviation, Bajaj Finserv and Bharat Electronics were among the laggards. Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) bought equities worth Rs 2,981.87 crore on Wednesday, according to exchange data.

“The Fed’s decision to maintain the status quo on rates was largely anticipated, but hawkishness remained due to continued emphasis on inflation control. A sharp uptick in US bond yields sig-nalled growing pressure for a possible rate hike in the near future, keeping global investors on edge, while renewed crude oil volatility amid West Asian tensions added to external uncertain-ty,” Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments Ltd, said. As a result, domestic equities stayed range-bound with sharp intraday swings, as investors weighed global headwinds against resilient domestic fundamentals, he said. “Nonetheless, strengthening FII inflows, a firmer rupee, and encouraging Q1FY27 supported sentiment, prompting investors to treat dips as selective buying opportunities,” Nair added. “Markets traded in a volatile yet narrow range and settled marginally higher amid mixed cues. Sentiment remained mixed as the US Fed kept rates unchanged but signaled a hawkish stance, boosting rate hike expectations later this year. Further, Brent crude nearing the $90 mark with renewed geopolitical concerns kept markets on edge,” Ajit Mishra, SVP, Research, Religare Broking Ltd, said.