New Delhi: Indian stock markets traded firmly higher on Friday, setting the stage for a rebound after four consecutive sessions of losses, as a cooler-than-expected
US inflation reading lifted global risk appetite and revived hopes of Federal Reserve rate cuts in the coming year. The positive sentiment mirrored gains across Asian markets. The benchmark Sensex jumped over 500 points in early trade, while the NSE Nifty surged past the 25,950 mark, with buying seen across sectors. All the 30-Sensex firms were trading in positive territory during the initial trade. Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, Reliance Industries, Bharat Electronics, Bajaj Finance, Bajaj Finserv, Infosys, Power Grid and Tata Consultancy Services were among the biggest gainers. Also Read: Stock Market 2026 Holiday Calendar Released - Check How Many Days BSE, NSE Will Remain Shut Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) were net buyers of Indian equities on Thursday, purchasing shares worth Rs 595.78 crore, according to exchange data. Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) also remained net buyers, investing Rs 2,700.36 crore in the previous trading session. Cooling inflation in the US is lending resilience to the American economy and financial markets, VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Limited, said. "This augurs well for global equity markets as 2025 draws to a close," he added. Meanwhile, Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, slipped 0.23 per cent to USD 59.68 per barrel. "Global markets are trading with a positive bias, led by firm gains in US equities after lower-than-expected November consumer price inflation data reinforced expectations of further interest-rate cuts by the US Federal Reserve, triggering a shift toward a risk-on environment," Ponmudi R, CEO of Enrich Money, an online trading and wealth tech firm, said. On Thursday, Indian equities had ended largely flat, struggling to find clear direction after three straight sessions of losses. The benchmarks recovered from early weakness as buying interest in IT and financial stocks helped stabilise sentiment. The S&P BSE Sensex slipped 78 points, or 0.09 per cent, to close at 84,481.81, while the NSE Nifty 50 edged down just 3 points, or 0.01 per cent, to settle at 25,815.55.
