Market rally: Investors gain Rs 3 lakh crore, auto stocks rise ahead of RBI policy decision 

Sensex and Nifty opened higher on Wednesday boosted by a rally in the US market led by AI-driven forecasts from Caterpillar and Palantir and hopes for an imminent deal to end tensions in the Middle East. Dow Jones ended above the 54,000 mark for the first time. It surged 1.71% to close at a record 54,085.88 on August 4, 2026.

At home, Sensex climbed 406 pts to 78,835 and Nifty rose 9 points to 24,624 in early deals ahead of the RBI monetary policy decision today. Stocks such as IndiGo, Bajaj Finserv, L&T , NTPC, Trent and NTPC were the top Sensex gainers, rising up to 2.23%. Sentiment was positive as brent crude prices fell to $79 a barrel. West Texas Intermediate fell 0.9% to $75.06, after a 10% loss over the previous two sessions.

Here's a look at today's market rally in numbers

Investors gain Rs 3 lakh crore

Market cap of BSE-listed firms climbed  by Rs 3 lakh crore to Rs 492.50 lakh crore today against Rs 489.50 lakh crore on Wednesday.

100 stocks hit 52-week highs on BSE

As many as 100 stocks hit their 52-week highs today. On the other hand, 29 shares hit their 52-week lows on BSE in early deals.

Mid caps, small cap stocks shine 

The Nifty midcap 100 index climbed 132 points to 63,623 and BSE small cap index gained 120 pts to 19,751.

Auto, capital goods shares top gainers

Of 19 BSE sectoral indices, 17 were trading in the green. Auto and capital goods shares were the major gainers with their BSE indices rising 923 points and 410 pts, respectively.

Market breadth 

Of 3249 stocks traded, 2218 stocks were trading in the green. Around 839 shares were trading in the red while 192 stocks remained unchanged.

Higher circuits higher than lower circuits

Around 96 stocks hit their higher circuits as the stock market rallied in the early morning session. On the other hand, 62 shares hit their lower circuit limits.

Expert speak 

Rajesh Palviya, Head of Research, Axis Direct said, "The near-term outlook continues to favour the bulls. A sustained move above 24,700 could pave the way for a retest of the 25,000 milestone, while 24,400 is expected to act as immediate support, followed by 24,200. Although the RBI policy announcement remains the key event for the day, supportive global markets, easing crude prices, and improving risk appetite are likely to keep the underlying market sentiment positive."

Shrikant Chouhan, Head Equity Research, Kotak Securities said, "For the near term, 24,450–24,300 on the Nifty (78,100–77,600 on the Sensex) remains a crucial support zone. As long as the market sustains above this range, the broader structure remains constructive, and a rebound towards 24,800–24,950 (78,800–79,300) cannot be ruled out. Investors and positional traders should continue to adopt a buy-on-dips approach. Accumulating quality stocks in the 24,600–24,400 zone with a positional perspective is likely to offer a favorable risk-reward opportunity."

FII-DII data

Foreign institutional investors bought Rs 2219 crore worth of equities on a net basis on Wednesday, while domestic investors sold Rs 684.62 crore of shares, as per provisional NSE data.

Previous session

Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty closed lower on Tuesday, snapping four straight sessions of gains amid mixed trend in the global market. Sensex slipped 210 pts to 78,428 and Nifty lost 159 pts to 24,614.90. Market cap of BSE listed firms stood at Rs 489.32 lakh crore.