Sensex Soars 1,718 Points, Nifty Reclaims 25,000 as Markets Extend Seven-Day Rally

Indian benchmark indices extended their winning streak for the seventh consecutive session on Friday, defying a sharp global market sell-off, as sustained foreign fund inflows and easing crude oil prices boosted investor sentiment.

The BSE Sensex surged 1,718.01 points, or 2.17 per cent, to close at 81,028.02, its highest level of the day. The NSE Nifty climbed 493.75 points, or 2.01 per cent, to settle at 25,030.35, reclaiming the crucial 25,000 mark.

Over the past seven trading sessions, the Sensex has gained 7,781.99 points, or 10.62 per cent, while the Nifty has advanced 2,331.5 points, or 10.27 per cent.

Among the Sensex constituents, Mahindra & Mahindra emerged as the top gainer, rising 6.15 per cent after reporting a 25 per cent increase in consolidated profit after tax to Rs 4,587.88 crore for the September quarter. Strong revenue growth, particularly in its automobile segment, supported its performance.

ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Titan, Axis Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank were among the other major gainers. Power Grid was the only stock from the blue-chip index to close in the red.

Market sentiment also received support from foreign institutional investors, who purchased equities worth Rs 14,974.68 crore on Thursday, according to exchange data. Meanwhile, Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, declined 1.50 per cent to USD 96.82 per barrel.

The rally came despite heavy losses across global markets. South Korea's Kospi plunged 6.02 per cent, while Japan's Nikkei 225 declined 5.96 per cent. US markets also ended sharply lower on Thursday, with the Nasdaq Composite tumbling 5.52 per cent, the S&P 500 falling 4.36 per cent and the Dow Jones dropping 3.44 per cent.

Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Investments Ltd, said Indian equities had emerged as a relative safe haven amid global turmoil, supported by domestic investor optimism.