Stock Market: Sensex jumps 540 pts, Nifty above 25,218; auto, bank stocks lead gainers

Indian equity benchmarks Sensex and Nifty50, climbed on Wednesday, supported by positive global cues amid developments around the US-Japan trade agreement.

The BSE Sensex closed at 82,726.64, up 539.83 points, or 0.66 per cent, while the NSE Nifty50 gained 159 points, or 0.63 per cent, to settle at 25,219.90.

Tata Motors led the Sensex gainers, rising 2.51 percent to Rs 690.20. Bharti Airtel followed with a 1.9 per cent jump. Other gainers included Bajaj Finance (up 1.66 percent), Maruti Suzuki (up 1.15 per cent), Bajaj Finserv (up 1 per cent), and ICICI Bank (up 0.96 percent).

HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Bharti Airtel, Reliance Industries, and Bajaj Finance were the top contributors to the Sensex's advance. Among sectoral indices, the BSE Bankex rose 0.75 per cent, or 473.88 points, to end at 63,908.32. The BSE Auto index rose 0.86 per cent, or  459.60 points, to close at 53,870.98.

Meanwhile, Blue Jet Healthcare Ltd's shares fell 17 per cent in two trading sessions following disappointing Q1 results, marking the third consecutive day of losses. Blue Jet Healthcare stock settled at 816.45, down nearly 10 per cent on Wednesday.

Ajit Mishra, SVP, Research at Religare Broking Ltd, said the markets traded with a positive bias and gained over half a percent, offering some relief after the recent decline. Following an initial uptick, the Nifty moved in a narrow range during the first half; however, strength in select heavyweights, particularly from the banking and financial sectors, propelled the index higher. 

“As a result, it surpassed the short-term moving average (20 DEMA) and moved closer to the previous swing high zone near 25,250, eventually settling at the 25,219.90 level,” Mishra said.

“On the sectoral front, the trend remained mixed, with auto, banking, and financials ending in the green, while realty and FMCG closed in the red. The broader market also reflected a mixed tone, as the midcap index gained nearly half a percent while the smallcap index ended almost flat,” Mishra added.

Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments Limited, said the Indian equity market demonstrated resilience despite a mixed start to Q1FY26 earnings. Positive global cues, underpinned by optimism surrounding the U.S.-Japan trade agreement, have supported sentiment. 

“Additionally, progress toward finalising the India-UK FTA has further contributed to the constructive outlook. Continued advancements in global trade negotiations are expected to alleviate near-term trade tensions and foster greater market stability. While elevated valuations remain a concern, the prevailing market strength indicates potential for near-term earnings recovery,” Nair said.

On the BSE, 4,198 stocks traded today, of which 2,003 advanced, 2,026 declined, and 169 remained unchanged.