Sensex Closes Muted

India’s BSE Sensex closed virtually unchanged at 77,187 after a choppy session on Thursday, as gains in tech and consumer stocks offset weakness in banking and financials. Investor sentiment remained cautious amid geopolitical uncertainties and fluctuating oil prices, while the focus shifted to the ongoing earnings season. The tech sector rebounded after two straight sessions of losses. HCL Tech (1.7%), Tech Mahindra (1.2%), TCS (0.6%) and Infosys (0.4%) all advanced. Auto stocks such as Maruti (1.4%)and Mahindra & Mahindra (1.2%) gained on expectations of stronger earnings, supported by GST cuts and easier credit availability. Conversely, heavyweight financials such as Bajaj Finserv dropped nearly 1% following mixed quarterly earnings from insurers ICICI Lombard General Insurance and HDFC Life Insurance. Private banks HDFC Bank, Axis Bank and Kotak Bank fell 0.9%, 0.6% and 0.3%, respectively.

The SENSEX Index rose 76 points or 0.10 percent on Thursday to close at 77262 points. Leading the gains are HCL Tech (1.82%), Maruti Suzuki (1.59%) and Bajaj Finance (1.49%). Top losers were Eternal Limited (-1.83%), Bajaj Finserv (-1.06%) and HDFC Bank (-0.88%).

India’s BSE Sensex edged up about 0.3% to 77,423 at the open on Thursday, led by a rebound in IT stocks as the sector recovered from recent losses and investors positioned ahead of key quarterly earnings from major technology firms. The broader market also tracked gains from the previous session as investors looked past lingering geopolitical concerns while assessing the global market backdrop. Still, upside was capped by caution after renewed Middle East tensions lifted crude oil prices. On corporate news, HDFC Life Insurance reported a 12% rise in first-quarter profit on higher premiums, while ICICI Lombard General Insurance posted a 46% profit decline due to higher claims and weaker commercial insurance. HDB Financial Services saw quarterly profit rise, supported by strong loan demand and improving asset quality. Among individual stocks, top gainers included Bector Food (12.2%), Mangalore Refinery & Petrochemicals (11.4%), Emmvee (8.3%), and Himadri (4.0%).