Indian equity markets ended higher on Friday, on the back of positive cues from other Asian markets. Investors remained optimistic after Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said the first phase of the India-US trade agreement has been finalized and is undergoing legal drafting. He expressed optimism that the legal drafting would be completed soon. Traders also assessed SEBI’s revised framework for the Closing Auction Session (CAS), changing trading timings, and the methodology for determining settlement prices of stock and index derivatives contracts.
Both Nifty and Sensex closed over half percent higher, supported by continued gains in IT stocks, which extended their recent rally. Tech Mahindra, TCS, and Infosys were among the key outperformers on indices. Meanwhile, traders also kept an eye on upcoming earnings announcements from heavyweight banking stocks.
Some of the important factors in trade:
India's merchandise exports jump 23% in September: Traders took support as the commerce ministry’s data showed that India’s merchandise exports rose by 23.05 per cent to $44.40 billion in September 2026 as compared to $36.08 billion in September 2025, driven by healthy growth in shipments of petroleum products, electronic goods and chemicals.
India would remain among fastest-growing large economies over next 20-25 years: Sentiments remained upbeat, as Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal has said that India would remain among the fastest-growing large economies over the next 20-25 years, citing youthful population, demographic dividend, large domestic market and entrepreneurial drive as key drivers of sustained growth.
Finance Minister expresses hope for early conclusion of India-US trade agreement: Sentiments got boost as Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman expressed hope that the India-US trade agreement would be concluded at the earliest, in the interest of global trade and bilateral economic ties between the two countries.
On the global front: European stocks were trading mostly higher, while Asian markets closed largely higher, following broadly positive cues from Wall Street overnight, amid a rebound in technology and semiconductor stocks after the recent sell-off driven by concerns over the rising costs of financing AI investments.
The BSE Sensex ended at 74729.27, up by 413.66 points or 0.56% after trading in a range of 74012.99 and 74778.78. There were 14 stocks advancing against 16 stocks declining on the index. (Provisional)
The top gaining sectoral indices on the BSE were IT up by 3.38%, TECK up by 3.28%, Telecom up by 1.56%, Metal up by 0.78% and Auto up by 0.77%, while Energy down by 0.64%, Consumer Durables down by 0.62%, FMCG down by 0.44%, Oil & Gas down by 0.39%, and Realty down by 0.26% were the top losing indices on BSE. (Provisional)
The top gainers on the Sensex were Tech Mahindra up by 8.19%, TCS up by 4.91%, Infosys up by 4.73%, Bharti Airtel up by 2.59% and Mahindra & Mahindra up by 2.25%. On the flip side, Interglobe Aviation down by 2.54%, Reliance Industries down by 1.30%, Asian Paints down by 1.01%, ITC down by 0.77% and Hindustan Unilever down by 0.77% were the top losers. (Provisional)
Meanwhile, India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) has said that India's wholesale and retail inflation possibly will accelerate to over 12 per cent and 6 per cent, respectively, in October due to an adverse base effect, unfavourable weather conditions and an energy price shock. The adverse base effect is also expected to keep wholesale price pressures elevated at least until February 2027, with Wholesale Price Index (WPI) inflation likely to remain in double digits. However, the agency said inflation could be lower if the crisis in West Asia is resolved.
Ind-Ra further said that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) could raise policy rates by 50-75 basis points in the current tightening cycle. WPI inflation surged to a series high of 11.39 per cent in September, up from 9.92 per cent in August. Meanwhile, retail inflation rose to a 23-month high of 5.54 per cent in September, compared with 4.83 per cent in the previous month.
Wholesale inflation responds immediately to changes in energy prices, particularly those of petroleum products. In contrast, the impact on retail inflation depends on government interventions, including changes in taxes and duties, as well as adjustments in retail fuel prices. Pump prices have not kept pace with movements in global crude oil and petroleum product prices. A weakening rupee has also contributed to higher inflation.
The CNX Nifty ended at 23146.15, up by 148.80 points or 0.65% after trading in a range of 22913.80 and 23149.85. There were 26 stocks advancing against 24 stocks declining on the index. (Provisional)
The top gainers on Nifty were Tech Mahindra up by 8.48%, TCS up by 4.89%, Infosys up by 4.61%, Bharti Airtel up by 2.75% and Mahindra & Mahindra up by 2.07%. On the flip side, Interglobe Aviation down by 1.91%, BSE down by 1.90%, Max Healthcare down by 1.40%, Tata Consumer Products down by 1.27% and JIO Financial Services down by 1.26% were the top losers. (Provisional)
European markets were trading mostly in green; Germany’s DAX gained 243.88 points or 0.96% to 25,626.50 and France’s CAC rose 9.2 points or 0.12% to 7,943.90, while UK’s FTSE 100 decreased 14.89 points or 0.14% to 10,825.46.
