Sensex Jumps 500 Points, Nifty Tops 25,300; Axis Bank, Bajaj Stocks Rally Up to 4%

Sensex, Nifty Trade Higher on India–EU FTA Optimism; Broader Market Outperforms

Indian benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty opened Wednesday’s session on a firm footing, buoyed by optimism surrounding the conclusion of the India–EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and supportive global cues.

As of 11 am, the BSE Sensex was trading at 82,266.57, up 409 points or 0.5 per cent, while the NSE Nifty50 stood at 25,289.5, higher by 114.1 points or 0.45 per cent.

On the BSE, Axis Bank, Eternal and Adani Ports emerged as the top gainers, while Asian Paints, Maruti Suzuki and Infosys weighed on the index.

The broader market outperformed the benchmarks, with the Nifty SmallCap 100 index rising over 1 per cent and the Nifty MidCap 100 index advancing 0.6 per cent.

Among sectoral indices, Nifty Private Bank, Realty and Oil & Gas were the top performers, each gaining more than 1 per cent. In contrast, Auto and PSU Bank stocks remained under pressure.

Global Cues

Asian markets traded mixed on Wednesday. Japan’s Nikkei 225 slipped 1.43 per cent, while South Korea’s KOSPI rose 1.48 per cent. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 hovered near flat with a negative bias.

US equity markets ended Tuesday’s session on a mixed note. The S&P 500 notched its fifth consecutive record close, rising 0.41 per cent to 6,978.60, supported by optimism ahead of megacap earnings. The Nasdaq Composite gained 0.91 per cent, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 0.83 per cent amid weak corporate results and a sharp selloff in health insurer stocks.