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Indian stock markets traded higher on Thursday, supported by strong buying in automobile, information technology, and healthcare shares after erasing initial losses.

At the closing bell, the BSE Sensex was up by around 115 points, or 0.15 percent, at 76,520.38. The Nifty 50 went up by 50 points, or 0.22 percent, to close at 23,205.

Out of the 30 Sensex stocks, 19 ended in the green. Tech Mahindra, Sun Pharma, M&M, Zomato, UltraTech Cement, and Titan were the top gainers.

On the other hand, HUL, HDFC Bank, SBI, Reliance Industries, and HCL Tech were among the top losers.

On the Nifty 50, Wipro, Sun Pharma, Grasim, UltraTech Cement, and others were among the top gainers, while BPCL, Kotak Mahindra, SBI, Reliance, and HCL Tech were among the top losers on the National Stock Exchange (NSE).

The broader markets outperformed the benchmark indices, with the Nifty SmallCap index up by 1.1 percent and the MidCap index gaining 1.6 percent.

Among sectors, the Nifty IT index led the rally, rising 2 percent. However, the Nifty PSU Bank index was under pressure, down by 0.5 percent.

The market displayed a slightly positive sentiment on Thursday, with over 2,100 stocks registering gains on the BSE, outpacing the 1,800 shares that ended in the red.

Market experts said that the hope, however, is that US President Donald Trump’s administration tempers its position to avoid stifling US and global economic momentum.

“Nevertheless, this policy direction underscores a return to the trade-war playbook, where volatility becomes a mainstay and headlines can rapidly shift market direction,” they noted.

According to Rupak De from LKP Securities, following a positive start, the trading session remained muted, with the index showing limited movement.

“The bearish trend is likely to persist as long as the index stays below 23,400. On the downside, support levels are observed at 23,150 and 23,000,” he noted.

 

In Asian markets, Tokyo and Shanghai ended higher, while Hong Kong and Seoul closed lower.

European markets were trading higher in mid-session deals on Thursday. US markets ended on a positive note in overnight trade on Wednesday.

Global oil benchmark Brent crude rose 0.20 per cent to USD 79.16 a barrel.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth Rs 4,026.25 crore on Wednesday, according to exchange data.