Stock Market Today: Sensex Climbs 130 Points, Nifty Closes Above 24,000

India’s benchmark equity indices closed higher on Wednesday following a volatile session, buoyed by gains in banking and financial services stocks that offset declines in metal, IT and realty shares.

The Sensex added 130.49 points, or 0.17%, ending at 77,185.43, while the Nifty rose 26.45 points, or 0.11%, to finish at 24,074.85.

Experts noted that solid buying interest around the 24,000 mark helped the Nifty rebound from its intraday lows, underscoring that level as a crucial support.

“Technically, holding this level will be key to rekindling bullish momentum and opening the path for further upside,” market analysts said.

“On the downside, the 24,000 psychological level remains the essential support for sustaining the broader recovery,” an analyst added.

The broader market outperformed the headline gauges. The Nifty Midcap 150 rose nearly 0.5%, and the Nifty Smallcap 250 gained about 0.75%.

Among sectoral indices, public sector banks led the advance, with the Nifty PSU Bank index climbing close to 1% as buying interest revived in the segment.

Conversely, the Nifty Metal index slipped more than 1%, marking it as the day’s weakest sector.

Information technology, realty and fast‑moving consumer goods (FMCG) stocks remained under pressure, extending their recent losing streaks.

The pharmaceutical sector, however, ended higher for the second consecutive session, while the oil and gas index rebounded after two days of losses.

Analysts said the day’s trading reflected a cautious mood, with investors selectively picking up financial shares while staying wary of weakness in export‑oriented and commodity‑linked counters.

“While elevated crude oil prices and geopolitical risks remain key watch‑points, the market’s resilience shows confidence in India’s macro fundamentals,” an analyst remarked.

“Looking ahead, market participants will monitor global cues, corporate earnings, FII flows and commodity prices for further direction,” the expert added.

Meanwhile, the rupee traded largely flat near 96.25, as the dollar index slipped below 101 after softer‑than‑expected US CPI data, offering some relief to emerging market currencies.

“Technically, the rupee is expected to trade in the 95.75–96.45 band in the near term,” market experts noted.