Indian Markets Rally Strongly; Logs Best Weekly Gain Since Feb 2021

Market breadth remained positive out of 2,977 traded stocks on the NSE, 1,847 advanced, 1,047 declined, and 83 remained unchanged. A total of 63 stocks hit 52-week highs, 116 stocks were locked in upper circuits, and overall sentiment stayed bullish across sectors.

Market Update at 4:00 PM: Indian equities ended the week on a strong note, with the Nifty 50 and Sensex surging over 1.5 per cent in Friday’s session. The Nifty 50 climbed 414 points or 1.77 per cent to close at 23,851, marking its highest close in three months and posting a weekly gain of 4.48 per cent—the biggest since February 2021. The Sensex rose 1,509 points or 1.96 per cent to settle at 78,553.

Banking and financial stocks powered the rally, pushing the Nifty Bank up by 2.21 per cent to 54,290. Heavyweights like ICICI Bank (+3.7 per cent), Reliance Industries, and HDFC Bank contributed the most to the Nifty 50’s gain, with ICICI Bank alone adding 78.95 points. Financials continued to outperform, with the Nifty Financial Services index hitting a record high of 26,071.

Trading volume was robust, with the Nifty 50 witnessing 50.52 crore shares exchanged, well above its 20-day average. Overall, cash market turnover stood at Rs 1.02 lakh crore, while derivatives turnover reached Rs 2.82 lakh crore.

On the downside, Wipro dropped 4.34 per cent following disappointing Q4 revenue and weak guidance. The Nifty IT index underperformed, ending up just 0.23 per cent. Broader market indices also gained modestly, with mid- and Small-Cap indices up around 0.5 per cent.

Market breadth remained positive out of 2,977 traded stocks on the NSE, 1,847 advanced, 1,047 declined, and 83 remained unchanged. A total of 63 stocks hit 52-week highs, 116 stocks were locked in upper circuits, and overall sentiment stayed bullish across sectors.

Market Update at 12:30 PM: Indian benchmark indices opened lower on Thursday, primarily weighed down by losses in the IT sector after Wipro issued a weak revenue forecast. However, continued interest in financial stocks helped cushion the fall.

As of 12:15 a.m. IST, the Nifty 50 had jumped 0.83 per cent to 23,632, while the BSE Sensex soared 0.95 per cent to trade near 77,734.

Shares of Wipro dropped 5.5 per cent after the company missed its Q4 revenue expectations and projected a potential sales decline of 1.5 per cent to 3.5 per cent for the current quarter.

Infosys, one of the sector's major players, also fell 1.5 per cent ahead of its earnings release scheduled for later in the day, contributing to a nearly 2 per cent slide in the Nifty IT index.

In broader markets, Mid-Cap and small-cap indices were also in the green, up 0.25 per cent and 0.47 per cent, respectively.

By midday, the top-gaining stocks that supported the Nifty 50 were ICICI Bank (+56.02 pts), HDFC Bank (+39.02 pts), and Bharti Airtel (+29.83 pts). On the other hand, Wipro (-7.97 pts), Larsen & Toubro (-8.72 pts), and Infosys (-12.18 pts) were among the key drags on the index.

On the sectoral front, 14 out of 17 sectors recorded gains, with Bank Nifyu, up more than 1.5 per cent, being the top-gaining sector. 

Currently, 39 stocks are trading at their 52-week high, and 12 stocks are at their 52-week low. On the NSE, 81 stocks have hit their upper circuit, while 20 stocks are locked in their lower circuit.

Market Update at 09:30 AM: India’s key benchmark indices opened slightly lower on Thursday, mainly weighed down by losses in IT stocks following Wipro’s weak revenue outlook for the April-June quarter amid global tariff concerns.

At 9:15 a.m. IST, the Nifty 50 was trading 0.3 per cent down at 23,368.55, while the BSE Sensex declined 0.24 per cent to 76,868.4.

Wipro shares dropped 5.1 per cent after the company missed revenue expectations for the fourth quarter and projected a 1.5 per cent to 3.5 per cent revenue decline in the current quarter, pulling the Nifty IT index down by 1.4 per cent. Shares of Infosys, which is set to report earnings post-market hours, also slipped 1.1 per cent.

Out of the 13 key sectoral indices, eight were trading in the red during early hours. Broader market indices such as the Nifty Smallcap and Nifty Midcap slipped around 0.2 per cent each.

This dip comes after a strong three-session rally, during which the Nifty 50 and Sensex posted gains of 4.6 per cent and 4.3 per cent, respectively.

Pre-Market Update at 8:00 AM: Indian stock market indices, Sensex and Nifty 50, are expected to open lower, as indicated by a 90-point drop in the Gift Nifty compared to the previous close. 

This is influenced by weak global cues, particularly from the US, where markets saw sharp declines. The Dow Jones dropped 1.73 per cent, the S&P 500 fell 2.24 per cent, and the Nasdaq lost 3.07 per cent. These declines followed comments from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, signaling concerns over the US economy’s slowing growth and indicating no immediate changes to interest rates.

US-China trade tensions worsened as China imposed new tariffs on US exports, raising them to 245 per cent, up from 145 per cent. In economic data, US retail sales rose by 1.4 per cent in March, exceeding expectations, while manufacturing output grew by 0.3 per cent for the same month.

Asian markets showed a mixed trend, with Japan’s Nikkei and South Korea’s Kospi posting gains, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index indicated a weaker start.

In India, equities closed higher on April 16, marking their third consecutive day of gains. The Sensex rose by 309 points to 77,044.29, and the Nifty 50 gained 108.65 points, finishing at 23,437.20. Gold prices continued their upward momentum, reaching a new all-time high of $3,357.40 per ounce. 

On the institutional front, FIIs were net buyers, purchasing Rs 3,936.42 crore worth of shares, while DIIs net sold Rs 2,512.77 crore. Stocks banned for trading in the F&O segment on April 17 include Birlasoft, Hindustan Copper, Manappuram Finance, IREDA, and NALCO.

Disclaimer: The article is for informational purposes only and not investment advice.