Stock markets extended their rally for a second straight session on Friday, driven largely by a surge in metal stocks and upbeat global sentiment.
The BSE Sensex added 223.86 points, or 0.28 per cent, to close at 81,207.17, while the NSE Nifty50 edged up 57.95 points, or 0.23 per cent, to finish at 24,894.25.
The Sensex swung between a low of 80,649.57 and a high of 81,251.99 before settling near its peak, marking a choppy but ultimately positive day.
Heavy metal
The BSE metal index jumped 1.85 per cent, led by Lloyds Metals & Energy, which surged over 6 per cent, along with solid gains in National Aluminium Company and Jindal Stainless.
Tata Steel led the gains on the Sensex, climbing 3.40 per cent after renewed optimism over steel demand and pricing. Power Grid followed, advancing around 3.2 per cent on hopes of fresh infrastructure spending, and Axis Bank rose about 2.5 per cent as financials continued to draw buying interest.
Other notable greens included Kotak Mahindra Bank, Larsen & Toubro, Bharat Electronics and Bharti Airtel, all contributing to the broader upmove.
Tech tumble
On the downside, Tech Mahindra was the biggest underperformer, slipping nearly 1.5 per cent in line with pressure on IT names. Maruti Suzuki slid close to 1 per cent, weighed down by moderating auto volumes, while UltraTech Cement dropped about 0.8 per cent amid mixed sectoral cues.
Bajaj Finserv also posted modest losses as investors booked profits in financial services shares.
In Asian markets, Japan’s Nikkei 225 climbed while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dipped. European bourses traded higher, and US markets ended in the green on Thursday. Brent crude rose to $64.61 a barrel, adding to the positive tone in commodity-linked sectors.
