Last Updated on April 17, 2026 11:55 pm by BIZNAMA NEWS
By Our Business Correspondent
Domestic equity benchmarks staged a steady comeback on Friday, with the Nifty reclaiming the 24,350 mark and closing near the day’s high as geopolitical tensions eased and crude prices softened.
Market Performance
- Sensex: Gained 504.86 points (0.65%) to close at 78,493.54.
- Nifty 50: Advanced 156.80 points (0.65%) to settle at 24,353.55.
- Sectoral Leaders: FMCG, energy, and metals drove the rally.
- Lagging Sectors: IT and pharma remained subdued.
Broader markets outperformed frontline indices:
- BSE 150 MidCap Index: Up 1.26%
- BSE 250 SmallCap Index: Up 1.52%
Market breadth was strong, with 3,043 shares rising against 1,284 declining on the BSE.
Key Movers
- Hindustan Unilever: Down 4.75%
- Reliance Industries: Down 1.61%
- HDFC Bank: Down 0.55%
Volatility and Indicators
- India VIX: Fell 4.86% to 17.21, indicating easing volatility.
- 10-year G-Sec Yield: Rose slightly to 6.898.
- Rupee: Weakened to 92.85 against the dollar.
- Gold Futures (June 2026): Down 0.09% to Rs 153,012.
- Brent Crude (June 2026): Fell 3.39% to $96.02 per barrel.
Global Cues
- US Futures: Dow Jones up 175 points, signaling a strong Wall Street open.
- Europe: Indices traded higher despite lingering U.S.-Iran tensions.
- Asia: Mostly lower, reflecting cautious optimism.
Geopolitical developments supported sentiment:
- Ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.
- Optimism around U.S.-Iran talks.
- President Trump signaled possible de-escalation of the Iran conflict.
New Listing
- Om Power Transmission: Debuted at Rs 181.10, closed at Rs 190.15 (8.66% premium).
Stocks in Spotlight
- Apollo Micro Systems: Up 16.78% after securing defence manufacturing licence.
- Bajaj Consumer Care: Surged 9.80% on 105% YoY profit growth.
- VST Industries: Jumped 9.73% with 120% YoY profit rise.
- Waaree Renewable Technologies: Gained 5.44% on strong revenue growth.
- Angel One: Advanced 10.58% on robust Q4 performance.
- CRISIL: Rose 5.36% on 45.93% profit growth.
- Kolte-Patil Developers: Up 5.99% on higher sales value.
- Rail Vikas Nigam: Gained 3.22% after winning Rs 968 crore contract.
- KPI Green Energy: Added 1.71% after receiving power trading licence.
- Alok Industries: Fell 0.83% as net loss widened.
- Madhya Bharat Agro Products: Declined 6.95% despite strong profit growth.
- Karbonsteel Engineering: Rose 2.12% on new order wins.