The Indian equity markets rebounded sharply on Thursday, with benchmark indices rising over half a percent amid last-minute buying during a volatile session marked by the weekly Sensex derivatives expiry. The markets initially opened strong but slipped into the red before recovering as value buying emerged after three consecutive days of losses. The Sensex closed 426.86 points higher at 84,818.13, while the Nifty gained 140.55 points to settle at 25,898.55. Earlier, both indices had dipped, with the Sensex falling 222.39 points to 84,168.88 and the Nifty down 50.90 points to 25,707.10.
Top gainers included ETERNAL, Kotak Mahindra Bank, and Jio Financial Services, rising up to 2%, while Trent and Bharti Airtel fell up to 1%. Market breadth was positive, with 1,869 shares advancing versus 1,575 declining.
The recovery was supported by value buying across IT, auto, metal, banking, and realty sectors, firmer global commodity prices, optimism over a potential India-US trade deal by March 2026, easing volatility as India VIX fell 2% to 10.74, and positive global cues after the US Fed rate cut. Analysts noted technical support near 25,690–25,630 for Nifty, with further downside possible if breached.
