FX.co ★ Sensex Ends Almost Muted

India's BSE Sensex concluded the session nearly flat at 84,478.7 on Thursday, following a volatile trading day which saw the index linger around its two-week high. This stagnation comes as investors opted to secure profits after a four-day upward trend, all while awaiting the results of the Bihar state elections. The market's positive mood was bolstered by several factors including President Trump's signing of a short-term funding bill, which ended the US government shutdown, potential tariff alleviations for India, and a decline in domestic inflation rates. However, persistent withdrawals by foreign investors capped further market gains. Among the prominent gainers were Asian Paints, ICICI Bank, PowerGrid, Larsen & Toubro, Bajaj Finserv, and Bharti Airtel, all recording increases ranging from 0.7% to 3.7%. Conversely, Eternal, Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles (TMCV), and M&M were the significant decliners, each dropping between 0.7% and 3.7%. Meanwhile, Tata Steel fell by 1.2% due to issues surrounding its UK operations and expanding losses, despite the company posting a remarkable 272% year-over-year increase in its net consolidated profit for the second quarter of FY26.