India's equity benchmarks finished the trading day in positive territory on Tuesday, buoyed by advances among metals, automobile and real estate stocks.
At the close on the National Stock Exchange, the Nifty 50 was up 0.74%. On the Bombay Stock Exchange, the BSE Sensex 30 rose 0.75%.
Top performers on the Nifty
- Eternal Ltd (NSE:ETEA) was the session's strongest gainer on the Nifty, climbing 5.57% - a rise of 12.36 points - to finish at 234.40.
- Tata Steel Ltd (NSE:TISC) added 4.42%, or 8.26 points, to close at 195.20.
- Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (NSE:MAHM) rose 2.85%, a gain of 86.40 points, ending the day at 3,122.50.
Laggers on the Nifty
- Wipro Ltd (NSE:WIPR) fell 2.06% - down 4.01 points - to close at 191.10.
- Cipla Ltd. (NSE:CIPL) declined 1.72%, or 22.40 points, to finish at 1,277.60.
- Tata Consumer Products Ltd (NSE:TACN) dropped 1.60%, a fall of 17.50 points, to 1,075.20 at the close.
BSE movers
- On the Sensex, Eternal Ltd (BO:ETEA) rose 5.56% to 234.40.
- Tata Steel Ltd (BO:TISC) was up 4.41%, settling at 195.40 on the BSE.
- Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (BO:MAHM) gained 2.91% to close at 3,123.95.
Among the weakest names on the BSE were Infosys Ltd (BO:INFY), which slipped 1.29% to 1,233.50 in late trade, ITC Ltd (BO:ITC) which lost 1.17% to settle at 304.60, and Bajaj Finance Ltd (BO:BJFN) which declined 1.13% to 869.00 at the close.
Market breadth and notable lows
Rising issues outnumbered decliners on both major exchanges. On the NSE, 1,447 stocks advanced while 1,086 fell and 34 ended unchanged. On the BSE, 2,174 stocks rose, 1,835 declined and 140 were unchanged.
Several large-cap names touched 52-week lows during the session. Shares in Wipro Ltd (NSE:WIPR) fell to 52-week lows, down 2.06% or 4.01 to 191.10. Cipla Ltd. (NSE:CIPL) also reached a 52-week low, falling 1.72% or 22.40 to 1,277.60. Infosys Ltd (BO:INFY) declined to a 52-week low as well, down 1.29% or 16.10 to 1,233.50.
Volatility, commodities and currencies
The India VIX, which measures implied volatility for Nifty 50 options, eased 8.37% to 19.80.
In commodities trading, Gold Futures for April delivery rose 0.11% - up 5.36 - to $5,007.56 a troy ounce. Crude oil prices moved higher: the May contract for U.S. crude gained 3.85%, a rise of $3.56, to $96.02 a barrel, while the May Brent contract increased 3.30% - up $3.31 - to $103.52 a barrel.
On the currency front, USD/INR strengthened 0.17% to 92.39, and EUR/INR rose 0.18% to 106.35. The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.05% at 99.52.
Overall, Tuesday's session closed with broad participation across Indian exchanges, with metals, autos and real estate among the sectors that helped lift benchmark readings while volatility receded and commodity prices diverged.