India’s BSE Sensex rose 0.3% on Thursday to close at 76,741.8, rebounding after a sharp decline in the previous session. Investors positioned ahead of quarterly results from IT heavyweight TCS and tracked escalating tensions in the Middle East. Pre-earnings commentary pointed to solid growth prospects for banks and FMCG counters.
On the geopolitical front, the US military said on Wednesday it had launched fresh strikes on Iran to help keep the Strait of Hormuz open to shipping, triggering retaliatory Iranian attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain. Even so, steady foreign portfolio inflows continued to cushion sentiment, with overseas investors net buyers of Indian equities for a sixth consecutive session.
Among key movers on the index, Sun Pharma (+2.7%) and Bharti Airtel (+2.2%) led the advance as investors rotated into defensives such as pharmaceuticals, healthcare, and telecom. Technology stocks lagged: Infosys slipped 1.8%, while TCS edged 0.5% lower ahead of its earnings release, with analysts anticipating a subdued performance amid a challenging macroeconomic backdrop.
