Extending gains for second straight session, Indian equity benchmark -- Nifty ended higher with nearly a quarter percent on Thursday. Index made a flat-to-negative start after the US Federal Reserve delivered its first-rate hike since 2023. But soon, Index staged recovery and entered into green territory as traders took some support with International Monetary Fund (IMF) Deputy Managing Director Nigel Clarke stating that India remains a key driver of global growth and continues to be the world’s fastest-growing major economy, supported by strong fundamentals and sound policy frameworks. In second half of the session, market extended its gains as sentiments remained upbeat as the Indian government cut the windfall gains tax on export of petrol, diesel and Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) for the fortnight beginning September 16, 2026. However, in last leg of the session, Index trimmed some of its gains, on account of profit booking, but eventually ended above 23,250 mark.
Most of the sectorial indices ended in green led by Pharma, Realty and Media stocks. The top gainers from the F&O segment were HDFC Life Insurance Company, Bharat Heavy Electricals and Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles. On the other hand, the top losers were PB Fintech, Patanjali Foods and PNB Housing Finance. In the index option segment, maximum OI continues to be seen in the 23900 - 24100 calls and 22900 - 23100 puts indicating this is the trading range expectation.
