Indian equity benchmarks ended the week's first trading session on a firm note, supported by better-than-expected September quarter earnings and improving domestic market cues. The NSE Nifty 50 gained 388 points, or 1.68%, to settle at 23,441, while the BSE Sensex advanced 1,233 points, or 1.66%, to close at 75,693.
Buying interest extended to the broader markets, with the Nifty Smallcap 250 rising 1.35% and the Nifty Midcap 100 gaining more than 1%.
Among sectoral indices, the Nifty Oil & Gas emerged as the top performer, surging nearly 6%, while the Nifty Metal index rallied more than 3%. The Nifty Auto, Nifty PSU Bank, Nifty Consumer Durables and Nifty Realty indices, along with several others, advanced 1-2%.
However, select sectors bucked the broader market trend, with the Nifty Pharma, Nifty Private Bank and Nifty IT indices, among others, slipping into negative territory.
The overall market breadth remained firmly positive. On the NSE, 2,445 stocks advanced, compared with 1,164 declines, while 104 stocks remained unchanged.
