Indian equity markets ended the trading session on a positive note Thursday, buoyed by sector-level gains in Power, Metals and Capital Goods. At the National Stock Exchange close, the Nifty 50 was up 1.17%, while the BSE Sensex finished 1.14% higher.
Among Nifty constituents, Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (NSE:APSE) led the winners, climbing 3.82% - an increase of 54.80 points - to close at 1,489.20. Hindalco Industries Ltd. (NSE:HALC) added 3.79%, or 34.90 points, to finish the day at 956.70. Larsen & Toubro Ltd (NSE:LART) advanced 3.72%, up 144.40 points, closing at 4,027.00.
On the downside, several large-cap names underperformed. Tech Mahindra Ltd (NSE:TEML) fell 1.36%, losing 18.40 points to end at 1,332.80. ICICI Bank Ltd (NSE:ICBK) slipped 0.89%, down 12.10 points to 1,353.30, and HCL Technologies Ltd (NSE:HCLT) declined 0.61%, settling at 1,355.70 after an 8.30-point drop.
Movements on the BSE mirrored those on the NSE. Adani Port and Special Economic Zone Ltd (BO:APSE) rose 3.75% to 1,488.10, Larsen & Toubro Ltd (BO:LART) gained 3.68% to finish at 4,025.00, and Reliance Industries Ltd (BO:RELI) increased 3.09% to close at 1,387.10. Lagging on the Sensex were Tech Mahindra Ltd (BO:TEML), down 1.30% to 1,333.00; ICICI Bank Ltd (BO:ICBK), off 0.82% to 1,353.30; and HCL Technologies Ltd (BO:HCLT), which fell 0.56% to 1,356.40 at the close.
Market breadth favored advancers. On the National Stock Exchange, 1,731 issues rose while 800 fell and 32 were unchanged. On the Bombay Stock Exchange, 2,605 stocks advanced, 1,401 declined and 132 finished flat.
Investor expectations for volatility eased as the India VIX - which measures implied volatility of Nifty 50 options - dropped 15.74% to 17.81.
Commodity markets showed mixed results. Gold futures for April delivery gained 0.63%, a rise of 32.11, to trade at $5,166.81 a troy ounce. Crude oil for April delivery rose 2.18%, up $1.63 to $76.29 a barrel, while the May Brent contract climbed 1.66%, or $1.35, to $82.75 a barrel.
In currency markets, USD/INR moved lower by 0.55% to 91.59, and EUR/INR fell 0.72% to 106.43. The US Dollar Index Futures recorded a modest increase of 0.18%, trading at 98.90.
The session’s sector leadership - Power, Metals and Capital Goods - supported the broader index gains, while selective weakness among large-cap banking and IT names restrained even larger advances. The decline in implied volatility suggests traders priced in reduced near-term swings in the Nifty 50, even as commodity and currency prices posted notable shifts.