Indian equity markets started the trading session on a firm note on Thursday, August 27. Despite mixed trading signals coming from overseas markets, domestic investors displayed strong buying appetite across multiple sectors. In early trade, the 30-share BSE Sensex climbed over 166 points, while the broader NSE Nifty 50 moved close to the psychological landmark of 24,300. The opening momentum was largely supported by buying interest in heavyweight stocks such as Bajaj Finance, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, and Adani Enterprises.
Key Benchmark Indices and Market Breadth
During the opening trade, the BSE Sensex advanced by 166.84 points to reach 77,639.78. Simultaneously, the NSE Nifty index gained 78.40 points to trade at 24,286.15. Overall market breadth remained strongly in favor of advances, reflecting broad-based investor participation. Approximately 1,448 stocks traded higher on the exchanges, whereas 783 stocks experienced declines, and 155 stocks remained unchanged from their previous close.
Bajaj Finance Tops Gainers List Alongside Major Large-Caps
Among individual stocks on the Nifty index, Bajaj Finance emerged as the top performer with a gain of approximately 1.54 percent. Tech Mahindra registered an increase of 1.36 percent, while Adani Enterprises surged by 1.22 percent and Kotak Mahindra Bank rose by 0.89 percent. Other notable gainers in morning trade included Nestle India up 0.72 percent, ICICI Bank rising 0.70 percent, ONGC gaining 0.66 percent, and Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles advancing 0.57 percent. Other prominent large-cap stocks trading in the green included Adani Ports, Eternal, Bajaj Finserv, Cipla, Sun Pharma, and Infosys.
Broad-Based Sectoral Gains Led by IT and Energy
Sectoral indices across the board reflected widespread buying activity. The Nifty IT sector registered a rise of 0.38 percent in early hours. The Nifty Energy index moved up by 0.30 percent, while both Nifty Pharma and Nifty MNC indices surged 0.25 percent each. Additionally, the Infrastructure index climbed 0.16 percent, Realty gained 0.14 percent, FMCG added 0.14 percent, Private Bank index rose 0.13 percent, and PSU Bank index edged up 0.12 percent. The Nifty PSE index also traded with minor gains.
Select Financials and Large-Caps Face Selling Pressure
Despite positive momentum in the headline indices, select large-cap stocks faced selling pressure during early hours. HDFC Bank slipped by nearly 1.11 percent. Shriram Finance traded lower by 0.52 percent, Hindalco declined 0.46 percent, Power Grid shed 0.32 percent, and IndiGo dipped 0.29 percent. Other stocks witnessing mild pressure in opening trade included Grasim, HCLTech, NTPC, Axis Bank, SBI, and Maruti.
