Sensex crosses 85,000 after 14 months; BEL, SBI among top performers

Sensex crosses 85,000 after 14 months, driven by financials and autos, while IT and consumer stocks lag; Bharat Electronics, Bajaj Finance, Airtel and SBI emerge as the biggest gainers

The benchmark Sensex on Wednesday closed above the 85,000 mark for the first time since September 27, 2024. Although the 30-share index has returned to levels last seen nearly 14 months ago, the composition of gains has shifted considerably.  Bharat Electronics, Bajaj Finance, Bharti Airtel and State Bank of India have been the standout performers since September 2024, while Tata group firms Trent and Tata Consultancy Services have been the biggest laggards, followed by PSU majors NTPC and Power Grid Corporation of India.  Broadly, financials and automobile stocks have led the rebound, whereas IT and consumer names have trailed. The analysis excludes IndusInd Bank, JSW Steel and Nestle, which were removed from the index over the past year.  Tata Motors has also been excluded as its price is not comparable following the demerger of its passenger vehicle business.