Overview

• Benchmarks rose for a second session, with the Sensex closing at 82,501 (+329) and the Nifty at 25,285 (+104).
• Market breadth stayed firm, with most sectors higher while IT and Metal lagged; mid- and small-caps gained, and Tata Communications jumped over 10% intraday.
• The RBI kept the repo rate unchanged at 5.5%, reinforcing positive sentiment toward banking stocks.
• Pharma shares strengthened after the US administration indicated no tariffs on generic drugs and signalled curbs on biotech ties with flagged foreign firms.
• Earnings reports from major Nifty companies including HCL Tech, Infosys, Wipro, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank and IndusInd Bank are due next week, alongside India’s CPI and WPI releases and remarks from Fed Chair Jerome Powell.