India’s BSE Sensex advanced 2.3% to close at 75,528 on Friday, marking its strongest single-day gain since early April. The rally followed a global upswing in risk assets, driven by optimism over a potential US–Iran agreement. Oil prices fell sharply after US President Trump suggested that Washington and Tehran could reach a peace deal as early as this weekend, potentially leading to a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. The prospect of reduced geopolitical risk is seen as supportive for renewed foreign inflows into Indian equities.
Gains on the Sensex were broad-based, with banking, financial, realty, auto, and consumer stocks leading the advance. Private-sector lenders attracted strong buying interest, including HDFC Bank (up 3.7%), Axis Bank (2.9%), Kotak Mahindra Bank (2.6%), and ICICI Bank (1.7%). Bajaj Finance was the top gainer, surging 5.6%, followed by Larsen & Toubro (4.9%), IndiGo (4.6%), Titan Company (4.0%), and Eternal (3.9%). In contrast, the IT sector came under pressure, weighed down by a 2.2% decline in Tech Mahindra. For the week, the Sensex posted a gain of 1.7%.
