Sensex ends 329 pts higher, Nifty tops 25,250;

SBIN

,

MARUTI

i advance 2% each

Indian equity benchmarks, Sensex and Nifty, ended higher on Friday, supported by strong gains in financial majors amid steady foreign portfolio investor (FPI) inflows for the third straight session. Optimism ahead of the quarterly earnings season also buoyed sentiment, though Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) restricted broader market gains after its September-quarter results came in below expectations. The S&P BSE Sensex surged 328.72 points, or 0.40%, to settle at 82,500.82, while the NSE Nifty 50 rose 103.55 points, or 0.41%, closing at 25,285.35. Among the Sensex constituents,

, , , , and led the rally, gaining between 1% and 2%. Broader indices also strengthened, with midcaps advancing 0.5% and smallcaps rising 0.7% during the session. The Nifty IT index ended flat as Tata Consultancy Services slipped 1.1% after weaker-than-projected Q2 earnings. Nevertheless, IT stocks gained 4.9% for the week — the best-performing sector — supported by TCS’s stronger-than-anticipated revenue performance. Financial stocks climbed 1.6% for the week, aided by the Reserve Bank of India’s recent credit reforms and an improved lending growth outlook. Among stock-specific movers, i declined 3% following a drop in quarterly profit. Overall, both the Sensex and Nifty 50 advanced around 1.6% for the week — marking their most robust performance in three months. Investment in securities market are subject to market risks. Read all the related documents carefully before investing.