The SENSEX Index Closes 0.48% Higher

India’s BSE Sensex closed about 0.6% up at 74,729.3 on Friday, the highest level since September 23 and extending gains for the second session. Strong corporate earnings and tempered bets on US rate hikes supported market sentiment, while elevated crude prices and relentless foreign fund outflows remained a concern. The tech sector was the standout performer, powered by a 8.5% jump in Tech Mahindra after reporting stronger-than-expected results. TCS, Infosys and HCL Tech also advanced solidly. Other top gainers included Bharti Airtel (2.9%), M&M (2.4%) and Bajaj Finance (1.4%). Lenders ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank are set to publish results on Saturday. Meanwhile, IndiGo shares slipped over 2%, amid concerns over new government rules on airline ticket pricing. For the week, the index advanced 3.1%, posting its strongest weekly performance in six months.

The SENSEX Index gained 359 points or 0.48 percent on Friday to close at 74674 points. Gains were led by Tech Mahindra (7.97%), Tata Consultancy (5.00%) and Infosys (4.80%). Biggest losers were Nestle India (-1.10%), Indusind Bank (-1.06%) and Bajaj Finserv (-0.69%).

India’s BSE Sensex edged up around 0.2% to 74,439 on Friday, after reaching a four-month high in the previous session, led by gains in technology stocks. Tech Mahindra rose 6.9% on better-than-expected second-quarter revenue and strong deal wins. However, sentiment remained fragile amid foreign outflows, with overseas investors selling $555.99 million worth of Indian shares on Thursday, while Brent crude near $106 a barrel stoked inflation concerns. Markets also assessed the Securities and Exchange Board of India’s (SEBI) reversal of its decision on closing auction settlements for expiring derivatives contracts. Among other stocks in focus, Jio Financial Services reported a sharp increase in adjusted operating profit on lending growth, while HDFC Life Insurance posted higher quarterly profit as policy sales through parent HDFC Bank recovered. Other notable gainers among technology stocks included TCS (3.3%), Infosys (3.9%), Wipro (4.5%), HCL Tech (1.2%), and LTM (1.9%).