MUMBAI: Benchmark indices rose today with BSE Sensex gaining  230 points in a volatile session on Wednesday, buoyed by strong gains in Adani group stocks and continued foreign fund inflows.
The 30-share Sensex rose 230.02 points or 0.29 per cent to close at 80,234.08, with 18 stocks advancing and 12 declining. It touched an intraday high of 80,511.15, surging 507.09 points or 0.63 per cent, before paring some gains.
Similarly, the NSE Nifty climbed 80.40 points or 0.33 per cent to settle at 24,274.90, oscillating between a high of 24,354.55 and a low of 24,145.65.
Sectorally, utilities, power, services, and capital goods stocks saw robust gains, while realty and healthcare shares underperformed.
Adani shares lead rally
Adani Group shares led the rally, surging nearly 20 per cent, after the group clarified that its chairman Gautam Adani and his aides were not charged under the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The group admitted to facing three other charges, including securities and wire fraud, punishable by monetary fines. Adani Ports & SEZ emerged as the top Sensex gainer, rising 6 per cent.
HDFC Bank contributed significantly to the Sensex’s rise, adding 167 points with a 1.43 per cent gain. NTPC, Bajaj Finance, Maruti, and Axis Bank were among the other top gainers. Conversely, Titan, State Bank of India, Asian Paints, TCS, HCL Tech, Sun Pharma, IndusInd Bank, and ICICI Bank were notable laggards.
FIIs continue buying
Foreign institutional investors continued their buying streak, net purchasing equities worth Rs1157.70 crore on Tuesday, boosting overall sentiment.
Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Financial Services, remarked, “Mixed market sentiment in Asia stemmed from potential US tariff impositions, while the Chinese market rebounded on expectations of further stimulus measures.”
Globally, Asian markets showed mixed trends, with Shanghai and Hong Kong closing higher, while Seoul and Tokyo ended in the red. European markets were mostly in the negative, while US markets closed on a positive note on Tuesday.
On the commodity front, global oil benchmark Brent crude advanced 0.63 per cent to $73.23 per barrel.
In the broader market, the BSE smallcap index surged 1.18 per cent, and the midcap index rose 0.34 per cent. Among sectoral indices, utilities led the gains with a 3.11 per cent rise, followed by power (2.74 per cent), services (2.53 per cent), and capital goods (1.13 per cent). On the downside, realty and BSE Focused IT sectors lagged.
On the BSE, 2,593 stocks advanced, 1,335 declined, and 112 remained unchanged.
