Market Overview
India's equity markets closed higher on Wednesday, with the Nifty 50 index rising 0.11% and the BSE Sensex 30 gaining 0.17% at the close.
Sector Contributions
The gains were led by the Capital Goods, Consumer Durables and Oil & Gas sectors, which together lifted the broader market.
Top Gainers
UltraTech Cement Ltd posted the strongest performance, advancing 2.91% (334 points) to finish at 11,830.00 on the NSE and 2.96% to 11,832.00 on the BSE. Eternal Ltd added 2.80% (8 points) to close at 294.15 on NSE and 2.85% to 294.10 on BSE. HDFC Life Insurance Company Ltd rose 2.16% (12 points) to end at 567.20 in late trade.
Top Losers
Hindalco Industries Ltd fell 2.13% (20.80 points) to 953.50 on NSE. Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd declined 1.96% (5.60 points) to 280.55 on NSE and 1.73% to 280.90 on BSE. Tata Steel Ltd dropped 1.61% (3.03 points) to 185.24 on NSE and 1.59% to 185.35 on BSE. Larsen & Toubro Ltd was down 1.40% to 3,794.85 on BSE.
Market Breadth
On the NSE, 1,351 stocks advanced versus 1,186 that declined, with 50 unchanged. On the BSE, 2,141 stocks rose and 1,872 fell, while 156 remained unchanged.
Volatility Indicator
The India VIX, measuring implied volatility of Nifty 50 options, decreased 3.49% to 13.27.
Commodity and Currency Movements
Gold Futures for August delivery slipped 0.87% (35.40 points) to $4,034.30 per troy ounce. Crude oil for August delivery rose 1.11% (0.88 dollars) to $80.22 a barrel, and the September Brent contract increased 1.16% (0.98 dollars) to $85.71 a barrel. The USD/INR exchange rate edged up 0.31% to 96.50, while EUR/INR rose 0.03% to 109.89. The US Dollar Index Futures were up 0.10% at 100.81.