The stock market ended higher on Wednesday, erasing the previous session’s losses, with the Nifty closing above 24,600, led by buying across sectors.
At the close, the Sensex was up 304.32 points, or 0.38%, at 80,539.91, while the Nifty rose 131.95 points, or 0.54%, to settle at 24,619.35.
The mid- and small-cap indices outperformed; the BSE Midcap gained 0.56%, while the BSE Smallcap advanced 0.58%.
The overall market capitalisation of BSE-listed firms increased to ₹445.5 lakh crore from ₹443 lakh crore in the previous session.
Among the sectors, most indices ended higher, except Nifty PSU Bank (down 0.14%), Oil & Gas (down 0.05%), and FMCG (down 0.04%).
Nifty Healthcare surged 2.13%, Pharma advanced 1.73%, and Metal and Auto climbed 1.26% and 1.12%, respectively. Nifty Bank gained 0.25%, while Financial Services rose 0.39%.
On the Nifty, 36 stocks ended in the green. Top gainers included Apollo Hospitals Enterprise (+8.20%), Hindalco Industries (+5.09%), and Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories (+2.71%). The top losers were IndusInd Bank (-1.26%), Adani Ports (-0.72%), and ITC (-0.52%).
In the broader market, 109 stocks hit their 52-week highs, including Authum Investment & Infrastructure, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise, Fortis Healthcare, HBL Power Systems, Indian Bank, JM Financial, Nuvoco Vistas, One 97 Communications, Star Cement, and TVS Motor Company.
Meanwhile, 104 stocks touched their 52-week lows, such as Bata India, Colgate-Palmolive (India), HFCL, Poly Medicure, Praj Industries, and Tejas Networks.
Paytm shares rose 4% after the RBI granted its subsidiary, Paytm Payments Services Ltd (PPSL), in-principle approval to operate as an online payment aggregator.
Apollo Hospitals Enterprise surged 8% after reporting a 42% year-on-year jump in consolidated net profit.
Positive global cues, supported by expectations of a US Federal Reserve rate cut, encouraged investors to cover short positions. Major European markets, including the UK’s FTSE, France’s CAC 40, and Germany’s DAX, also traded higher.