Stock Market Today Highlights:Indian equity benchmarks closed sharply higher on Friday,

With the Sensex surging 918 points and the Nifty 50 finishing above the 24,000 level, ahead of the upcoming US-Iran ***** the sectoral front, almost all indices ended in positive territory except Nifty IT. The Nifty Auto index emerged as the top performer, advancing nearly 2.8%. The domestic market wrapped up the session on a strong footing, tracking upbeat global market trends, even as investors remained cautious about the delicate two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran. Market participants are expected to closely monitor the US-Iran talks scheduled in Islamabad over the weekend. The benchmark BSE Sensex settled at 77,550.25, gaining 918.60 points or 1.20%, while the NSE Nifty 50 climbed 275 points or 1.16% to close at 24,050. On a weekly basis, the Nifty jumped 5.89%, registering its strongest weekly close since the period between January 27 and February 1, 2021. This rally has completely offset the losses seen over the previous three weeks, indicating a steady return of buying interest and improving market momentum, according to Sudeep Shah, Head of Technical and Derivatives Research at SBI Securities. Broader markets outpaced the frontline indices, with both the Nifty Smallcap 100 and Nifty Midcap 100 indices gaining more than 1.5% each. Across sectors, Nifty Metal, Nifty Auto, Nifty Private Bank, Nifty Media, Nifty PSU Bank, Nifty Realty, and Nifty Oil & Gas recorded gains of over 1%, while Nifty IT remained the sole laggard, ending in negative territory. with the Sensex surging 918 points and the Nifty 50 finishing above the 24,000 level, ahead of the upcoming US-Iran discussions.