Stock market updates: Equity markets resumed their upward journey after a one-day hiatus on Wednesday, as investors looked past overnight weakness on Wall Street and focused on stock-specific developments.
The S&P BSE Sensex index jumped 193.5 points, or 0.37 per cent, to end the volatile session at a new closing peak of 53,055 levels while the NSE's Nifty50 shut shop at 15,880, up 61 points or 0.39 per cent.
Tata Steel, JSW Steel, Bajaj Finserv, Hindalco, UPL, Nestle India, HDFC, IndusInd Bank, and Adani Ports ended as the top gainers on the benchmarks, up between 1 per cent and 5 per cent. On the downside, Titan Company, ONGC, SBI Life, Maruti Suzuki, Shree Cement, and Reliance Industries were the top laggards, down up to 2 per cent.
In the broader markets, the BSE MidCap and SmallCap indices rallied 0.58 per cent and 0.38 per cent, respectively.
Sectorally, realty and metal indices rose 2 per cent each as unsold real estate inventory declined further in Q2CY21 and as Tata Steel's capex plans gave sentimental push to peer stocks.
Meanwhile, all other key sectoral indices gained up to 0.6 per cent each, except the Nifty Auto index, which slipped 0.07 per cent.
Global markets
US equity-index futures rose along with stocks in Europe as investors awaited minutes from the Federal Reserve's latest meeting for clues on policy makers' thinking on interest rates and stimulus. Bonds stabilized after a rally. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index climbed 0.6 per cent, led by gains in commodity sectors.
In Asia, stocks fell with Chinese tech firms in Hong Kong retreating after Beijing's cybersecurity probe of ride-hailing giant Didi Global Inc. Hang Seng declined 0.4 per cent, Japan's Nikkei tumbled 0.96 per cent, and South Korea's Kospi down 0.6 per cent.