Sensex, Nifty End Higher As Metal & Pharma Stocks Lead Gains

Indian equity benchmarks ended higher on Monday after a volatile trading session. Gains in metal, pharmaceutical and healthcare stocks lifted market sentiment.

The Sensex climbed 482 points, or 0.66%, to close at 73,606.75. The Nifty rose 0.68% to settle at 22,753.20.

Nifty Metal index gained 2.2%, leading sectoral advances. The Nifty Pharma index rose 1.67%, while the Nifty Healthcare index also posted strong gains. The Nifty Media and Consumer Durables indices ended among the worst performers.

Market experts said the Nifty closed above its 20-day simple moving average (SMA) and reclaimed its 200-week SMA. These levels indicated an improvement in its immediate price structure.

The put-call ratio (PCR) rose to 1.12, suggesting improved downside positioning. However, India VIX stood at 17.12, signalling expectations of continued market volatility.

Analysts said holding above 22,600 could push the Nifty towards 22,800-22,900. A sustained close above 22,800 would strengthen upward momentum.

Broader markets rebounded from their intraday lows as investors returned to midcap and smallcap stocks. The Nifty Midcap 100 advanced 1.19%, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 rose 1.38%.

Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, JSW Steel, BSE and Adani Ports led the Nifty gainers. Shriram Finance, Tata Consumer Products, Bajaj Finance and HDFC Life Insurance featured among the major laggards.

On the Sensex, Adani Ports, Eternal, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Trent, Tata Steel and Bharti Airtel led gains. Bajaj Finance, HDFC Bank, Maruti Suzuki, HCL Technologies and Power Grid Corporation weighed on the index.

Strength in metal and healthcare stocks helped benchmarks close higher despite intraday swings.

Also Read: Gold, Silver Rebound After Sell-Off; Gold Near Three-Month Low