Investors richer by Rs 17.44 lakh crore; Markets rally for fourth straight Session

Indian stock markets extended their winning streak for the fourth consecutive session on Thursday, with benchmark indices closing sharply higher amid strong global cues. The Sensex surged 900 points, or 1.19%, crossing the 76,000 mark to end at 76,348.06, while the Nifty climbed 283.05 points, or 1.24%, to settle at 23,190.65.

The rally was fueled by the US Federal Reserve’s decision to maintain its projection of two rate cuts in 2025, despite inflationary pressures following US President Donald Trump’s tariff policies. “The Fed’s dovish stance, keeping interest rates unchanged, provided relief to global markets and set a positive tone for the domestic market,” said Ajit Mishra, Senior Vice President, Research, Religare Broking.

Broad-Based Gains Across Sectors

Market sentiment remained upbeat as strong buying across sectors and short-covering on the weekly expiry day drove further gains. Over the last four sessions, the Sensex has risen by 2,500 points (3.41%), while the Nifty has advanced nearly 800 points (3.54%). India VIX, a measure of market volatility, dropped 5.22% to 12.60, signaling a cooling-off in volatility.

All sectoral indices on the BSE and NSE ended in the green, with telecom, auto, IT, oil & gas, and energy stocks leading the gains. The realty sector emerged as the top performer, rising 6.58% over four sessions, followed by industrials (6.34%) and capital goods (6.12%).

Investors’ Wealth Soars Amid Foreign Inflows

Investor wealth surged by Rs 3.61 lakh crore on Thursday and by Rs 17.44 lakh crore over the past four sessions, driven by broad-based buying. Despite this, domestic institutional investors turned net sellers after 29 sessions, offloading shares worth Rs 3,136.02 crore. In contrast, foreign portfolio investors were net buyers, purchasing shares worth Rs 3,239.14 crore, according to BSE data.

The broader market, however, underperformed the benchmarks. The BSE Midcap index gained 0.61%, while the BSE Smallcap index rose 0.73%, compared to their stronger performance in the previous sessions. Over four trading days, the BSE Midcap index has advanced 5.88%, while the BSE Smallcap index has climbed 5.73%.

Top Gainers and Losers

Among Sensex stocks, Bharti Airtel was the top gainer, rising 4.17%, followed by Titan Company (3.82%), TCS (1.88%), HUL (1.86%), and Infosys (1.74%). Meanwhile, only three Sensex stocks and four Nifty 50 stocks closed in the red.

In contrast, shares of cable and wire manufacturers took a hit after Adani Enterprises announced its entry into the sector. KEI Industries plunged 13.29%, Polycab India dropped 6.59%, Finolex Cables declined 4.45%, and Havells India slipped 3.51%.

With the market momentum remaining strong, analysts believe the bullish trend may continue in the near term, supported by both domestic and global factors.