Indian equity markets staged a robust rebound on Friday, with benchmark indices snapping their previous session losses, powered by renewed investor interest in blue-chip stocks like Reliance Industries, HDFC Bank, and ITC. The BSE Sensex surged 769 points to close at 81,721.08, while the NSE Nifty jumped 243 points, nearing the 24,900 mark. The rally came amid mixed global cues and ongoing foreign investor outflows. Gains across major sectors overshadowed a dip in Sun Pharma following weak quarterly results. Despite global uncertainties and continued FII selling, Indian equities displayed resilience backed by domestic institutional support and index-heavyweight strength.
Indices Rebound After Prior Losses
The Indian stock market showed strong recovery on Friday, reversing the declines seen in the previous session. The BSE Sensex gained 769.09 points, or 0.95%, to end the day at 81,721.08, having surged as much as 953.18 points during intra-day trading. The broader NSE Nifty rose 243.45 points, or 0.99%, to settle at 24,853.15.
The rally was largely driven by renewed optimism in heavyweight stocks, particularly Reliance Industries, ITC, and HDFC Bank, which together carry significant influence on the indices due to their large market capitalizations.
Sectoral Movement and Key Gainers
Among the top performers in the Sensex pack were Power Grid, ITC, Bajaj Finserv, Nestlé India, Axis Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Adani Ports, and Reliance Industries. These companies posted strong gains amid investor optimism around earnings momentum, capital deployment, and institutional buying.
Sun Pharma was the sole underperformer on the index, falling nearly 2% after the pharmaceutical giant reported a 19% year-on-year decline in consolidated net profit for the quarter ended March 31, 2025. The earnings miss weighed on the stock despite broader market buoyancy.
Global Market Sentiment and Oil Prices
Asian markets offered mixed signals on Friday. Japan’s Nikkei 225 and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng closed in positive territory, bolstered by strong corporate earnings and supportive central bank commentary. In contrast, South Korea’s Kospi and China’s SSE Composite ended the day in the red amid lingering concerns over manufacturing output and trade.
European bourses traded higher during mid-session on expectations of policy stability from central banks. Meanwhile, U.S. equities had closed flat in the previous session, reflecting investor caution ahead of key economic data.
Brent crude, the international oil benchmark, dipped slightly by 0.23% to USD 64.29 per barrel, offering marginal relief to oil-importing economies like India.
Foreign Investment Trends and Market Outlook
Despite Friday's bounce, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) continued to offload Indian equities, selling shares worth Rs. 5,045.36 crore on Thursday, as per provisional exchange data. The sustained FII outflows reflect a cautious global stance amid tightening liquidity, geopolitical developments, and evolving interest rate expectations in developed markets.
However, the strong domestic institutional participation, combined with retail investor resilience, has helped mitigate the volatility induced by foreign exits.
Conclusion
Friday’s rebound underscores the inherent strength of India’s equity markets, particularly when supported by heavyweight stocks and resilient investor sentiment. While global headwinds and FII outflows remain near-term risks, the underlying market breadth and domestic consumption themes continue to offer a firm foundation for long-term optimism. Investors will now look toward upcoming macroeconomic data and corporate earnings to gauge the sustainability of the current momentum.
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