Sensex, Nifty trade higher; European mrkt decline

The key domestic indices traded with major gains in afternoon trade. The Nifty traded above the 25,950 mark. Market sentiment remained positive, supported by buying demand from Foreign Institutional Investors (FII) and positive cues from Asian markets, while investors continued to track global developments and key economic data.

Buying interest was seen in auto, realty and pharma stocks, while metal, consumer durables and IT counters faced selling pressure.

At 13:25 ST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, climbed 400.81 points or 0.47% to 84,882.56. The Nifty 50 index added 140.10 points or 0.55% to 25,955.85.

In the broader market, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index jumped 0.55% and the S&P BSE Small-Cap index fell 0.58%.

The market breadth was positive. On the BSE, 2,392 shares rose and 1,598 shares fell. A total of 210 shares were unchanged.

Gainers & Losers:

Shriram Finance (up 4.20%), Max Healthcare Institute (up 2.40%), Bharat Electronics (up 1.81%), Bajaj-Auto (up 1.51%) and Eicher Motors (up 1.46%) were the major Nifty50 gainers.

HCL Technologies (down 1.40%), Hindalco Industries (down 0.91%), Adani Enterprises (down 0.64%), Dr Reddys Laboratories (down 0.61%) and Bharti Airtel (down 0.44%) were the major Nifty50 losers.

Stocks in Spotlight:

Reliance Industries advanced 1.49% after the companys FMCG arm, Reliance Consumer Products (RCPL) has acquired a majority stake in Udhaiyams Agro Foods (Udhaiyams), to expand its branded staples portfolio.

Refex Industries rose 0.44%. The company said its subsidiary, Venwind Refex Power (VRPL), has signed a contract with a leading independent power producer for the supply of wind turbine generators (WTGs) aggregating 148 MW.

Park Medi World shed 0.58%. The company said that it has entered into agreements to acquire whole of existing shareholding of KP Institute of Medical Sciences (KPIMS), in an all-cash transaction amounting Rs 245 crore.

BLS International Services rallied 4.72% after the Delhi High Court quashed the debarment order imposed by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), which had barred the company from participating in tenders for two years.

Apollo Micro Systems hit an upper circuit of 5% after the company said that its subsidiary IDL Explosives has received industrial license for manufacturing of widely used explosives HMX and TNT.

Global Markets:

European market declined as investors digest a swathe of interest rate decisions and look ahead to crunch budget talks in France.

On Thursday, the European Central Bank (ECB) kept interest rates unchanged at 3.75%, while Norways central bank held rates steady at 4% and Swedens central bank left its key policy rate unchanged at 1.75%.. In contrast, the Bank of England (BoE) trimmed interest rates, with a small majority of the banks nine-member monetary policy committee (MPC) opting for a 25 basis points cut, bringing the base rate down to 3.75%.

European traders will also be watching news from France, where lawmakers are set to hold crunch budget talks. A joint committee of politicians is scheduled to negotiate the terms of the 2026 spending plan on Friday.

Most Asian markets advanced on Friday as investors assessed the latest Bank of Japan decision.

The Bank of Japan raised its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 0.75%, marking its highest level since 1995.

Japans consumer inflation rate dropped to 2.9% in November, government data showed Friday. Core inflation, which strips out prices of fresh food, remained unchanged from 3% in October.

The annual inflation rate in the U.S. eased to 2.7% in November 2025, marking its lowest level since July. The reading came in below market expectations of 3.1% and was also lower than the 3% recorded in September, offering further relief on the inflation front.

Overnight in the U.S., the S&P 500 snapped a four-day slide Thursday, boosted by lighter-than-expected inflation data that brightened the outlook for lower interest rates in 2026 and blowout guidance from chipmaker Micron Technology.

The broad market index jumped 0.79% to settle at 6,774.76, while the Nasdaq Composite advanced 1.38% to 23,006.36. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 65.88 points, or 0.14%, to end the day at 47,951.85.

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