Mumbai: Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty ended higher in a volatile trade on Wednesday due to selective buying support amid easing inflation and positive global cues.
Besides, heavy rush on metal and industrial counters and unabated foreign capital inflows supported the positive trend in the equity markets, traders said.
The 30-share BSE benchmark Sensex climbed 182.34 points or 0.22 per cent to settle at 81,330.56. The gauge hit a high of 81,691.87 and a low of 80,910.03.
As many as 2,857 stocks advanced while 1,121 declined and 147 remained unchanged on the BSE.
The NSE Nifty rose 88.55 points or 0.36 per cent to 24,666.90.
“Markets were choppy in intra-day trade but managed to end in the green on selective buying support as investors don’t want to rush into equities after Monday’s strong optimism. While foreign fund flows in the domestic market will be critical going ahead, investors are worried that the US-China settling tariff disputes could revive foreign investors’ interest in Chinese markets again,” Prashanth Tapse, Senior VP (Research), Mehta Equities Ltd, said.
Tata Steel emerged as the biggest winner in the Sensex pack, rising 3.88 per cent, followed by Eternal, Tech Mahindra, Maruti, Mahindra & Mahindra, Infosys, IndusInd Bank, HCL Tech, Tata Consultancy Services and Bharti Airtel were the major gainers.
Telecom operator Bharti Airtel climbed nearly 1 per cent after it posted about a five-fold jump in consolidated net profit to Rs 11,022 crore in the March 2025 quarter, mainly due to the tariff hike impact and one-time gain on tax benefits.
However, Asian Paints, Tata Motors, Kotak Mahindra Bank, NTPC and Power Grid were among the laggards.
“The session began on a positive note, supported by encouraging factors, such as easing retail inflation and stable global cues. However, the absence of sustained buying interest and a mixed performance among heavyweight stocks limited further gains as the day progressed,” Ajit Mishra - SVP, Research, Religare Broking Ltd, said.