On Friday, October 9, the SENSEX advanced by 879.09 points or 1.23% to close at 72,472.33, while the NIFTY50 ended higher by 288.65 points or 1.30% at 22,520.45. The benchmark indices closed in positive territory amid buying in information technology and fast‑moving consumer goods stocks. Markets were supported by a decline in global crude oil prices, easing US bond yields, and strong global cues. The SENSEX zoomed as much as 1.50% to hit an intraday high of 72,669.20, and the NIFTY50 surged as much as 1.6% to touch the session’s peak of 22,580.75, a day after the index hit its 52‑week low.

The NIFTY50 index was buoyed by buying in Apollo Hospitals Enterprise shares, which rose 4.72%, amid a rally in pharma and hospital stocks as uncertainty eases after the latest 30% trade margin cap on anti‑cancer drugs. The relief rally followed the Department of Pharmaceuticals’ announcement that the central government has decided to cap trade margins for non‑scheduled anti‑cancer drugs at 30% of the maximum retail price. Other top gainers included ITC Ltd (4.31%), Eicher Motors (4.17%), Tata Consultancy Services (3.85%) and HCL Technologies (3.38%).

Shares of Tata Consultancy Services jumped after the company reported a 15% jump in net profit to ₹13,884 crore for Q2, pointing to continued growth momentum. The IT services giant posted a net profit of ₹12,075 crore in the year‑ago period and ₹13,349 crore in the preceding September quarter. The US government’s decision to suspend the Permanent Labor Certification Program (PERM) also contributed to the rally. On the downside, the top losers were BSE Ltd (-1.43%), Reliance Industries Ltd (-0.65%), JSW Steel (-0.61%) and Cipla (-0.44%).

The NSE Midcap gauge closed at 58,787.30, marking a 904.80‑point or 1.56% increase. The top winners included Persistent Systems (5.52%), GMR Airports (5.17%), Colgate Palmolive (4.73%), Glenmark Pharmaceuticals (4.60%) and ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company (4.08%). Shares of Colgate Palmolive and other FMCG companies were in focus following media reports that the 57th GST Council recommended changes to the input tax credit rules, removing restrictions on credit for free sanctions and other business expenses. The top laggards were Tube Investments of India (-1.25%), ICICI Asset Management Company (-1.20%), Tata Communications (-1.16%), Jubilant Foodworks (-1.13%) and JSW Energy (-0.97%).

The NIFTY Smallcap index closed at 19,153.70, up by 103.60 points or 0.54%. Its top gainers were Inox Wind (6.76%), City Union Bank (5.48%), KEC International (4.62%), Tata Elxsi (4.47%) and RBL Bank (4.32%). Conversely, Anand Rathi Wealth (-4.68%), Pine Labs (-3.97%), Aarti Industries (-3.38%), Chennai Petroleum Corporation (-2.85%) and Anant Raj (-2.29%) were among its top losers. This article is written purely for informational purposes and should not be considered investment advice. Please consult a financial advisor before making any investment decisions.