Mumbai, 17 April

Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty surged nearly 2 per cent on Thursday, registering their fourth day of rally as investors turned buoyant after foreign investors returned to domestic equities amid expectations of a breakthrough in US-Japan trade negotiations over reciprocal tariffs.

The 30-share BSE benchmark Sensex jumped 1,508.91 points or 1.96 per cent to reclaim the 78,000 level. It finally settled at 78,553.20. During the day, it soared 1,572.48 points or 2.04 per cent to 78,616.77.

As many as 2,427 stocks advanced while 1,522 declined and 157 remained unchanged on the BSE.

The NSE Nifty surged 414.45 points or 1.77 per cent to 23,851.65.

In four days, the BSE benchmark jumped 4,706.05 points or 6.37 per cent, and the Nifty surged 1,452.5 points or 6.48 per cent.

"Benchmark indices posted sharp gains on Thursday to end the week on a high note, posting four consecutive sessions of gains. Broader Mid and Small caps also closed higher.

"Markets opened lower on weak global cues after sharp overnight losses in US indices. After initial jitters, markets quickly bounced back to steadily climb higher throughout the day as the focus shifted to domestic factors and ongoing earnings. Banks continued to drive the benchmarks higher with private lenders leading the gains ahead of the earnings announcements," Satish Chandra Aluri, Analyst, Lemonn Markets Desk, said.

From the Sensex firms, Eternal, ICICI Bank, Bharti Airtel, Sun Pharma, State Bank of India, Bajaj Finserv, Kotak Mahindra Bank and Reliance Industries were among the biggest gainers.

On the other hand, Tech Mahindra and Maruti were the laggards.

The BSE midcap gauge climbed 0.56 per cent and smallcap index went up by 0.52 per cent.

All BSE sectoral indices ended higher. Bankex jumped 2.56 per cent, telecommunication (2.22 per cent), financial services (2 per cent), services (1.47 per cent), teck (1.19 per cent), energy (1.13 per cent), auto (1.01 per cent) and healthcare (0.91 per cent).

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) bought equities worth Rs 3,936.42 crore on Wednesday, according to exchange data. On Tuesday, FIIs bought equities for Rs 6,065.78 crore.

In Asian markets, South Korea's Kospi index, Tokyo's Nikkei 225, Shanghai SSE Composite index and Hong Kong's Hang Seng settled higher.

European markets were trading in the negative territory.

US markets ended significantly lower on Wednesday.

Investors are expecting positive outcomes from ongoing negotiations between the US and Japan on reciprocal tariffs. Both countries are currently engaged in trade talks regarding reciprocal tariffs, aiming to reach a deal as soon as possible.

"A strong rally in large-cap stocks was observed today, primarily driven by financials, amid expectations of improved margins stemming from changes in savings deposit interest rates. Positive sentiment was further supported by a reversal in FII flows, although the sustainability of this trend remains uncertain.

"Nonetheless, optimism surrounding the domestic market persists, bolstered by the expectation of a favourable outcome from US-India trade negotiations and a relatively minimal disruption from the US-China trade tensions. Additionally, a moderating inflation trajectory towards more comfortable levels is further enhancing market sentiment," Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments Limited, said.

Global oil benchmark Brent crude climbed 0.94 per cent to USD 66.47 a barrel.

Defying a weak global market trend on Wednesday, the BSE Sensex climbed 309.40 points or 0.40 per cent to settle at a two-week high of 77,044.29 in a volatile session. The Nifty rallied 108.65 points or 0.47 per cent to 23,437.20.

Stock markets will remain closed on Friday for 'Good Friday'.