Dalal Street remained on high alert on Thursday as volatility reined over investor sentiment. The BSE Sensex began the day above 80,650, climbing more than 100 points, while the NSE Nifty50 traded just under 24,650, jumping 25 points as of 9:15 AM.

On the 30-share Sensex, Infosys, Sun Pharma, Maruti, HDFC Bank, and Trent emerged among the gainers. Meanwhile, the laggards included Tata Steel, BEL, Adani Ports, NPTC, and L&T.

In the broader markets, the Nifty Financial Services index remained among the few trading in green and gained 0.23 per cent. The Nifty Microcap250 led in red and tanked 0.29 per cent.

Sectorally, the Metal index plunged 1.55 per cent, while the Pharma index climbed 0.87 per cent.

Notably, the GIFT Nifty slipped 17 points and stood under 24,700, as of 9 AM. In the pre-open session also, the indices gave mixed signals for the trading session. Around 9:08 AM, the Sensex climbed more than 80 points and crossed 80,625, while the Nifty declined 12 points and tested 24,600.

Across Asia, the Shanghai SSE Composite Index was trading in the green, while South Korea’s Kospi, Japan’s Nikkei 225, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index were all in negative territory. On Wall Street, US indices closed higher in Wednesday’s session.

“The market is likely to remain in a wait-and-watch mode, tracking cues from the upcoming Trump-Putin summit,” said VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services.

In commodities, global benchmark Brent crude rose 0.34 per cent to $65.85 per barrel. On the institutional front, provisional exchange data showed that Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) sold equities worth Rs 3,644.43 crore on Wednesday, while Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) were net buyers, picking up shares worth Rs 5,623.79 crore.

How Did Markets Fare Yesterday?

Equity benchmarks staged a recovery on Wednesday, supported by gains in metal, auto, and pharma stocks, as steady US inflation data fuelled a rally across global markets. The BSE Sensex rose 304.32 points, or 0.38 per cent, to close at 80,539.91, after touching an intraday high of 80,683.74, up 448.15 points or 0.55 per cent. The NSE Nifty added 131.95 points, or 0.54 per cent, to end at 24,619.35.

Analysts attributed the upbeat domestic mood to retail inflation easing to 1.55 per cent in July — its lowest in eight years — which strengthened expectations for a pickup in discretionary demand, particularly in the auto and metals sectors.

Market sentiment was also lifted by supportive cues from abroad, including the extension of China’s tariff deadline and a decline in global crude oil prices.