Indian equities closed higher on Friday, extending the week’s gains as sustained optimism about a potential resolution to the US–Iran conflict outweighed pressure from weak quarterly earnings. The S&P BSE Sensex advanced 0.6% to 78,480 and the NSE Nifty 50 climbed 0.7% to 24,360, with both benchmarks up roughly 1% for the week.
US President Trump continued to indicate that the confrontation with Iran could soon ease, with further negotiations expected this week. A de‑escalation is seen as broadly supportive for Indian assets, especially from the perspective of foreign investors. Normalizing oil supply would bolster domestic purchasing power, reduce the likelihood of interest-rate hikes by the Reserve Bank of India, and support the rupee by limiting foreign-exchange outflows.
Fast-moving consumer goods led Friday’s advance, with Hindustan Unilever, Nestlé India, and Reliance Industries each gaining more than 2%. In contrast, Wipro fell 3% after issuing a muted outlook for the year, while HDFC Life declined 3.2% on weaker new business in the latest quarter.
