Bajaj Finance Leads a Metal-Powered Rally to Close the Week

The market closed strongly higher today, with the Sensex gaining 299.17 points (0.4%) to 74,828.25 and the Nifty rising 117.80 points (0.5%) to 23,446.80. The rally was fueled by steadying oil prices around $100/barrel on hopes of progress in US-Iran talks, giving investors a fresh reason to buy after recent volatility. 1)

was today's standout performer, rising 3.41% to close at ₹1,043.20, the top gainer on the Nifty50, leading gains through the entire session from morning to close. 2)Metal stocks powered the broader rally, with Tata Steel and Hindalco Industries both posting strong gains (3.16% and 3.17% respectively), and the Nifty Metal index outperforming with a gain of over 2%, the best-performing sector today. 3)FMCG also had a strong showing, with the Nifty FMCG index among the top sectoral gainers, adding to the broad-based nature of today's rally. 4)IT remained the weak spot. Nifty IT was the worst-performing sector, shedding about 1%, with names like Infosys and TCS among the day's laggards, a now-familiar pattern this week of money rotating out of IT. 5)Steadying oil prices were the key macro driver, easing inflation and import-cost concerns that had been weighing on sentiment in recent sessions.