India’s BSE Sensex ended Thursday’s volatile session virtually flat at 74,314.6, lingering near its lowest level since June. Sentiment remained cautious as investors grappled with still-elevated crude oil prices, despite their recent pullback, while also digesting the US Federal Reserve’s latest policy decision and hawkish guidance. Strong IPO activity added another layer of complexity to trading.
Banking stocks came under pressure, with HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank declining 1.3% and 1%, respectively. In contrast, Tata group companies outperformed, advancing between 2.3% and 5.5% after the Tata Sons board approved a new five-year term for N. Chandrasekaran as executive chairman. Tata Steel led the index, rising 2.8%. Other notable gainers included BEL, IndiGo, Eternal, Maruti, Asian Paints, Bajaj Finserv and UltraTech Cement.
