Stock Markets End Higher in Gains

Indian benchmark indices ended the day with modest gains despite witnessing sharp intraday volatility. Market sentiment remained cautious due to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and rising crude oil prices. Investors also reacted carefully after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) decided to keep the repo rate unchanged at 5.25%, while banking and financial stocks remained under pressure throughout the session.

The BSE Sensex closed 152.05 points higher at 78,581, while the NSE Nifty gained 9.75 points to settle at 24,624.65. Among the top gainers were UltraTech Cement, NTPC, SBI, Mahindra & Mahindra, IndiGo, and Kotak Bank, whereas TCS, HCLTech, Reliance Industries, BEL, Sun Pharma, and HDFC ended in the red. Meanwhile, the rupee traded at 95.13 against the US dollar, Brent crude stood at $80.69 per barrel, and gold traded at $4,152.30 per ounce.