FX.co ★ Sensex Settles in the Green, Books Weekly Gain

The BSE Sensex in India experienced a late turnaround on Friday, climbing approximately 0.3% to close at 83,580. This recovery was fueled by selective purchases in the FMCG and private banking sectors, despite continued underperformance in the major IT segment. The market sentiment stabilized after a turbulent week, helped by an unexpected trade agreement between the US and India and the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) decision to maintain its policy rate. The RBI's announcement was largely anticipated, reflecting a neutral stance while emphasizing a positive growth outlook. Among notable individual stock performances, ITC surged by 5.2%, following a rise in other cigarette stocks. This was sparked by reports of new price increases and robust third-quarter earnings, which alleviated concerns about the recent excise duty hike effective February 1. Kotak Bank, HUL, Bharti Airtel, Bajaj Finance, and Bajaj Finserv also performed well, gaining up to 3.4%. On the downside, TCS, Tech Mahindra, and Adani Ports registered the largest declines, slipping 1.8%, 1.7%, and 1.3% respectively. Over the course of the week, the index increased by 1.6%.