Stock markets start 2025 on high note, snap 2-day decline

Mumbai: Benchmark Sensex and Nifty started the New Year on a high note with the key indices closing higher in a see-saw trade on Wednesday on buying in blue-chip stocks.

Snapping its two-day falling streak, the 30-share BSE Sensex rose by 368.40 points or 0.47 per cent to settle at 78,507.41 on the first trading session of 2025. During the day, it surged 617.48 points or 0.79 per cent to 78,756.49. The NSE Nifty climbed 98.10 points or 0.41 per cent to 23,742.90 with 37 of its constituents ending higher and 17 closing lower.

Among Sensex shares, Maruti Suzuki rose the most by 3.26 per cent after the carmaker reported 30 per cent rise in total wholesales at 1,78,248 units in December 2024.Mahindra & Mahindra spurted 2.45 per cent after the automaker reported a 16 per cent rise in overall auto sales at 69,768 units in December 2024.

Larsen & Toubro, Bajaj Finance, Tata Motors, IndusInd Bank, Asian Paints, Power Grid, HDFC Bank and Axis Bank were also among the gainers. Tata Steel, Adani Ports, Zomato, HCL Tech, State Bank of India, Hindustan Unilever and Tech Mahindra were among the laggards. The BSE smallcap gauge jumped 1.03 per cent and midcap index climbed 0.50 per cent. Among sectoral indices, capital goods surged 1.22 per cent, industrials (1.17 per cent), power (0.94 per cent), telecommunication (0.76 per cent), consumer discretionary (0.68 per cent), and financial services (0.51 per cent).