Closing Bell: Sensex up by 369 points, Nifty crosses 26,000; NTPC, Adani Ports, ONGC stocks shine

The Indian benchmark indices bounced back from yesterday’s decline on the hopes of the US Federal Reserve rate cut, which could be announced tonight after the meeting. On the other hand, US President Donald Trump said that he would do a trade deal with India, during his address at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in South Korea today, also bolstered investor sentiment. Trump, however, didn't mention a timeline for when the long-pending trade deal will be signed between India and the US.

Sensex rose by 369 points, or 0.44%, to 84,997.13, while Nifty returned to the 26,000 points mark, at 26,053.90, rising by 0.45%.

Leading today’s trade was NTPC, soaring up by nearly 3%, followed by Adani Ports and ONGC, each rising above by 2.5%.

Dragging the bourses were Dr Reddy’s, Coal India and Bharat Electronics, each declining by 1.5%.

On the sectoral front, the rally was led by Nifty Oil & Gas, Metal, and Media, which rose between 1–2%, reflecting broad-based participation and strong institutional interest, as per analysts.

As per analysts at Bajaj Broking, the broader market also joined the uptrend, with the Nifty Midcap index rising 0.64% and the Smallcap index gaining 0.43%, underscoring sustained buying appetite beyond frontline stocks.

Nifty Metal hit a record high intraday, as US-China relations seem to have thawed, as Trump would meet Chinese president Xi Jinping in the sidelines of the APEC meet. SAIL closed 6.15% higher today, hitting a new 52-week high, followed by Hindustan Zinc and NMDC, rising by nearly 3% each.

Amongst individual sectors, textile and shrimp companies saw a rebound of up to 5%, rejoicing the comments about a trade deal by Trump. Apex Frozen Foods shares jumped more than 4%, while Coastal Corporation and Avanti Feeds shares rose more than 2%. Gokaldas Exports and Pearl Global Industries shares soared 4% each, while Raymond Lifestyle shares rose by more than 2%.

“The benchmark indices ended on a firm and optimistic note, tracking positive cues from Asian markets and improved clarity on global trade trends. Hopes of progress in India–US trade talks further lifted sentiment, fueling broad-based buying across key sectors. All eyes will be on FOMC Fed Meeting scheduled tonight. Most other sectors also traded in the green, though Nifty Auto witnessed mild profit booking,” stated the note.