Stock Market LIVE Updates: Sensex up 380 pts, Nifty reclaims 26k amid volatility; metal stocks rally

Gujarat Mineral shares rise 5.5% as company gets clearances for coal mine in Odisha.

SME firm Encompass Design India lists at Rs 203.3 per share vs issue price of Rs 107 per share on NSE; Encompass Design India lists at a premium of 90%.

Shares of Tata Steel rose over 2% after the company unveiled a series of major capital expenditure plans, including the expansion of long steel products capacity at its wholly-owned subsidiary Neelachal Ispat Nigam and the establishment of a 2.5-million-tonne-per-annum thin slab caster and rolling mill in Odisha.

Life Insurance Corp. of India has sold 38.90 million shares or 2.01% stake in Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd., through market sale, between November 11, 2025 and December 10, according to an exchange filing by Adani Ports. Post the stake sale, LIC's stake in Adani Ports has come down to 7.34% from 9.35% earlier.

Thermax rose 4% after Kotak Institutional Equities upgraded the stock to "buy" from "add", citing potential margin improvement in the coming quarters and attractive valuations.

Hindustan Copper shares rose 6% on December after MCX Dec copper contract hits record high of Rs 1,116.60 per kg.

Global brokerage firm Citi has cut the target price on Tata Consultancy Services stock by 11.2% to Rs 2,835 with a 'sell' rating on the stock. Even though demand remains soft, the brokerage expects it to stabilise with no further worsening going ahead.

Allied Blenders and Distillers stock rose 1% to Rs 620.85 as brokerage JM Financial initiated coverage on spirits maker with "buy" rating and price target of Rs 738.

Brokerage points out that company is third-largest Indian-made foreign liquor brand with "leadership position" in mass premium segment.

Brokerage firm Nuvama cut the target price of InterGlobe Aviation by 5% to Rs 5,069 and retained a 'hold' rating on the stock owing to near-term challenges for the company caused by the operational disruption in its affordable airline service, IndiGo. The brokerage has also slashed its estimates for the company's December quarter earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortisation, and rent after the company was directed to reduce its scheduled flights.

Indoco Remedies shares rose 2.3% to Rs 245 apiece after the pharma co received US FDA's establishment inspection report for its Patalganga active pharmaceutical ingredients manufacturing facility, following successful inspection.

The company has announced the acquisition of BTM Ventures, the parent company of Reginald Men, founded in August 2022 by Trisha Reddy Talasani. Reginald Men, a premium personal-care brand for men, offers sunscreen and serum, which are focus categories for Honasa.

As part of the transaction, Honasa will acquire a 95% stake at an enterprise value of Rs 195 crore. The remaining 5% will be acquired after 12 months based on pre-agreed valuation criteria.

The company announced its plan to acquire Automech Group, a UAE-based high-precision manufacturing services, machines, and components provider, for AED 296 million (Rs 728 crore). This strategic transaction will help the company diversify into high-value engineering services and strengthen its presence across the GCC and MENA regions.

Sensex fell 250 points from day's high while Nifty gave up the psychologically important 26,000-mark.

QIB – 0.00 times

NII - 0.02 times

Retail – 0.03 times

Shareholder Portion - 0.03

Overall – 0.02 times

QIB – 0.30 times

NII - 0.29 times

Retail – 0.54 times

Employee Reserved - 1.30 times

Overall – 0.42 times

Steel Strips Wheels has bagged new exports orders for various Trailer wheel segments for US market. Orders call for wheel shipments in the month of December 2025 from Chennai plant with a total value close to USD 1 million.

Steel Strips Wheels was quoting at Rs 193, up Rs 4.80, or 2.55 percent.

It has touched an intraday high of Rs 193 and an intraday low of Rs 188.25.

It was trading with volumes of 2,832 shares, compared to its five day average of 8,991 shares, a decrease of -68.50 percent.

In the previous trading session, the share closed up 0.80 percent or Rs 1.50 at Rs 188.20.

The share touched a 52-week high of Rs 279.60 and a 52-week low of Rs 167.50 on 01 July, 2025 and 17 March, 2025, respectively.

Currently, the stock is trading 30.97 percent below its 52-week high and 15.22 percent above its 52-week low.

Market capitalisation stands at Rs 3,033.58 crore.

QIB – 0.32 times

NII - 1.99 times

Retail – 1.33 times

Overall – 1.18 times

A meeting of the board of directors of the company will be held on December 17, 2025, to consider proposal for raising funds by issue of equity or any other equity-linked or convertible securities including warrants through all or any permissible modes or method, including private placement, preferential issue or such other modes as may be permitted under applicable law, subject to all such regulatory/ statutory approvals and, if applicable, the approval of shareholders of the company, and to approve ancillary actions in this regard, including determination of issue price, if any.

HDFC Bank was quoting at Rs 1,001.60, up Rs 1.40, or 0.14 percent.

It has touched an intraday high of Rs 1,004.70 and an intraday low of Rs 1,001.25.

It was trading with volumes of 24,946 shares, compared to its five day average of 608,081 shares, a decrease of -95.90 percent.

In the previous trading session, the share closed up 0.99 percent or Rs 9.85 at Rs 1,000.20.

The share touched a 52-week high of Rs 1,020.35 and a 52-week low of Rs 812.13 on 23 October, 2025 and 13 January, 2025, respectively.

Currently, the stock is trading 1.84 percent below its 52-week high and 23.33 percent above its 52-week low.

Market capitalisation stands at Rs 1,540,712.26 crore.

The Sensex was up 357.64 points or 0.42 percent at 85,175.77, and the Nifty was up 110.40 points or 0.43 percent at 26,008.95. About 2414 shares advanced, 822 shares declined, and 156 shares unchanged.

#1 Company lowered its Q3FY26 guidance

#2 Near-term earnings may remain weak & could offer good entry points

#3 We believe the longer-term story remains intact

#4 Stock trades at 8.3x F27 EV/EBITDA versus the pre-covid median of 8.5x

#5 Cut FY26 adjusted EPS by 15 percent

#6 Notional FX losses & one-off compensation costs drive 31 percent cut to reported FY26 EPS forecast

The company has announced the acquisition of BTM Ventures, the parent company of Reginald Men, founded in August 2022 by Trisha Reddy Talasani. Reginald Men, a premium personal-care brand for men, offers sunscreen and serum, which are focus categories for Honasa.

As part of the transaction, Honasa will acquire a 95% stake at an enterprise value of Rs 195 crore. The remaining 5% will be acquired after 12 months based on pre-agreed valuation criteria.

Honasa Consumer was quoting at Rs 260.60, up Rs 4.10, or 1.60 percent.

#1 Company expects to achieve 100 percent tie-up for 23.7 GW under-construction capacity by next year

#2 Targets to reduce current untied capacity from 10 percent to 3-4 percent

#3 At current tariffs, company expects EBITDA of Rs 3.7/unit for new bids

#4 Capex for 23.7 GW is expected to be around Rs 2 lakh crore

Hubtown was quoting at Rs 254.55, up Rs 25.65, or 11.21 percent.

It has touched an intraday high of Rs 256.60 and an intraday low of Rs 231.25.

It was trading with volumes of 244,069 shares, compared to its five day average of 110,020 shares, an increase of 121.84 percent.

In the previous trading session, the share closed down 9.18 percent or Rs 23.15 at Rs 228.90.

The share touched a 52-week high of Rs 366 and a 52-week low of Rs 149.90 on 26 August, 2025 and 09 May, 2025, respectively.

Currently, the stock is trading 30.45 percent below its 52-week high and 69.81 percent above its 52-week low.

Market capitalisation stands at Rs 3,617.17 crore.

HDFC Life Insurance Company was quoting at Rs 778.50, up Rs 3.30, or 0.43 percent.

It has touched an intraday high of Rs 779.90 and an intraday low of Rs 773.50.

It was trading with volumes of 4,009,541 shares, compared to its five day average of 70,623 shares, an increase of 5,577.42 percent.

In the previous trading session, the share closed up 0.57 percent or Rs 4.40 at Rs 775.20.

The share touched a 52-week high of Rs 820.50 and a 52-week low of Rs 584.65 on 30 June, 2025 and 15 January, 2025, respectively.

Currently, the stock is trading 5.12 percent below its 52-week high and 33.16 percent above its 52-week low.

Market capitalisation stands at Rs 167,910.46 crore.

#1 Domestic order pipeline: around 25 GW of wind projects are yet to place turbine orders

#2 Working capital increase in last 2 quarters was driven by a higher share of PSU deliveries

#3 PSU contracts carry stronger margin and back-ended payment terms

#4 O&M segment EBITDA margin guidance at 40 percent

#1 Enters men’s personal care via acquisition of Reginald Men

#2 Aims for category and channel expansion to scale revenues to over Rs 500 crore

#3 The probability of sustained scalability in the core portfolio remains uncertain

Honasa Consumer was quoting at Rs 259.50, up Rs 3.00, or 1.17 percent.

It has touched an intraday high of Rs 268.05 and an intraday low of Rs 253.45.

In the previous trading session, the share closed down 0.50 percent or Rs 1.30 at Rs 256.50.

The share touched a 52-week high of Rs 334 and a 52-week low of Rs 190 on 09 June, 2025 and 07 April, 2025, respectively.

Currently, the stock is trading 22.31 percent below its 52-week high and 36.58 percent above its 52-week low.

Market capitalisation stands at Rs 8,443.35 crore.

Swiggy was quoting at Rs 410.25, up Rs 8.95, or 2.23 percent.

It has touched an intraday high of Rs 410.50 and an intraday low of Rs 403.85.

In the previous trading session, the share closed up 1.21 percent or Rs 4.80 at Rs 401.30.

The share touched a 52-week high of Rs 617.00 and a 52-week low of Rs 297.00 on 23 December, 2024 and 13 May, 2025, respectively.

Currently, the stock is trading 33.51 percent below its 52-week high and 38.13 percent above its 52-week low.

Market capitalisation stands at Rs 102,301.86 crore.

Larsen & Toubro was quoting at Rs 4,088.10, up Rs 82.90, or 2.07 percent.

It has touched an intraday high of Rs 4,109.00 and an intraday low of Rs 4,048.05.

It was trading with volumes of 14,816 shares, compared to its five day average of 121,813 shares, a decrease of -87.84 percent.

In the previous trading session, the share closed up 0.40 percent or Rs 16.15 at Rs 4,005.20.

The share touched a 52-week high of Rs 4,139.00 and a 52-week low of Rs 2,967.65 on 27 November, 2025 and 07 April, 2025, respectively.

Currently, the stock is trading 1.23 percent below its 52-week high and 37.76 percent above its 52-week low.

Market capitalisation stands at Rs 575,043.21 crore.

The company’s subsidiary has completed the acquisition of Pastdue Credit Solutions (PDC), an FCA-registered UK-based collections agency engaged in providing white-label early arrears, debt collection, and recovery services, for GBP 22 million.

Firstsource Solutions was quoting at Rs 344.70, up Rs 4.40, or 1.29 percent.

It has touched an intraday high of Rs 344.70 and an intraday low of Rs 341.85.

It was trading with volumes of 3,103 shares, compared to its five day average of 32,423 shares, a decrease of -90.43 percent.

In the previous trading session, the share closed up 1.31 percent or Rs 4.40 at Rs 340.30.

The share touched a 52-week high of Rs 422.80 and a 52-week low of Rs 272.40 on 07 January, 2025 and 18 March, 2025, respectively.

Currently, the stock is trading 18.47 percent below its 52-week high and 26.54 percent above its 52-week low.

Market capitalisation stands at Rs 24,025.27 crore.

The company announced its plan to acquire Automech Group, a UAE-based high-precision manufacturing services, machines, and components provider, for AED 296 million (Rs 728 crore). This strategic transaction will help the company diversify into high-value engineering services and strengthen its presence across the GCC and MENA regions.

Rama Steel Tubes was quoting at Rs 11.16, up Rs 0.12, or 1.09 percent.

It has touched an intraday high of Rs 11.30 and an intraday low of Rs 11.03.

It was trading with volumes of 128,600 shares, compared to its five day average of 4,108,262 shares, a decrease of -96.87 percent.

In the previous trading session, the share closed up 9.09 percent or Rs 0.92 at Rs 11.04.

The share touched a 52-week high of Rs 14.92 and a 52-week low of Rs 8.41 on 06 June, 2025 and 07 April, 2025, respectively.

Currently, the stock is trading 25.2 percent below its 52-week high and 32.7 percent above its 52-week low.

Market capitalisation stands at Rs 1,825.82 crore.

The company has secured Device-as-a-Service (DaaS) Project from Jammu & Kashmir Bank for Rs 74.99 crores.

The project involves deploying 9,851 advanced desktops across 1,019 branches PAN India on an Opex-based DaaS model for a period of 5 years.

Dynacons Systems and Solutions was quoting at Rs 892.40, up Rs 29.70, or 3.44 percent.

It has touched an intraday high of Rs 904.95 and an intraday low of Rs 878.90.

In the previous trading session, the share closed down 0.71 percent or Rs 6.15 at Rs 862.70.

The share touched a 52-week high of Rs 1,614.55 and a 52-week low of Rs 825.05 on 03 January, 2025 and 30 September, 2025, respectively.

Currently, the stock is trading 44.73 percent below its 52-week high and 8.16 percent above its 52-week low.

Market capitalisation stands at Rs 1,135.61 crore.

Thermax was quoting at Rs 2,895.75, up Rs 95.35, or 3.40 percent.

It has touched an intraday high of Rs 2,895.85 and an intraday low of Rs 2,827.40.

It was trading with volumes of 1,209 shares, compared to its five day average of 5,120 shares, a decrease of -76.39 percent.

In the previous trading session, the share closed up 0.95 percent or Rs 26.30 at Rs 2,800.40.

The share touched a 52-week high of Rs 5,002.95 and a 52-week low of Rs 2,744.20 on 17 December, 2024 and 08 December, 2025, respectively.

Currently, the stock is trading 42.12 percent below its 52-week high and 5.52 percent above its 52-week low.

Market capitalisation stands at Rs 34,504.69 crore.

The US FDA conducted a general Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) inspection of Piramal Pharma’s Lexington (Kentucky, USA) facility from December 3–10. At the conclusion of the inspection, the US FDA issued a Form 483 with four observations.

These observations relate to enhancements in procedures and will be classified as VAI (Voluntary Action Indicated).

Piramal Pharma was quoting at Rs 173.40, up Rs 1.50, or 0.87 percent.

On the back of positive global cues, the Indian indices opened higher on December 12.

The Sensex was up 289.71 points or 0.34 percent at 85,107.84, and the Nifty was up 76.65 points or 0.30 percent at 25,975.20. About 1462 shares advanced, 581 shares declined, and 184 shares unchanged.

Hindalco, L&T, Tata Steel, Bajaj Finance, Axis Bank were among major gainers on the Nifty, while losers were Max Healthcare, Shriram Finance, Tech Mahindra, SBI Life Insurance, Apollo Hospitals.

Indian markets may witness a steady start today, with GIFT Nifty indicating a mildly positive bias around the 26,140 zone. Sentiment remains supported by global stability following the recent US Fed rate cut and easing crude oil prices, although foreign fund outflows and rupee weakness keep traders somewhat cautious. The broader setup suggests a continuation of range-bound movement unless a clear breakout emerges.

For the Nifty 50, the index reclaimed momentum yesterday after a three-session decline. Immediate support now lies around 25,750–25,800, and deeper support is positioned near 25,500. On the upside, resistance is expected around 26,000–26,050. Sustained trade above 26,050 may encourage further buying, potentially driving the index toward 26,300. Until then, intraday swings may remain contained.

The Bank Nifty also looks set for a sideways-to-slightly positive open. Key support is seen near 58,900–59,000, while resistance is placed around 59,500, followed by the psychological 60,000 level. A decisive move above 59,500 could open the path toward 60,000–60,200, but failure to hold 59,000 may lead to consolidation.

Volatility remains subdued, with India VIX hovering in the low-teen range, suggesting controlled intraday movement and a favorable environment for tactical trading rather than aggressive positioning.

Given the backdrop, a buy-on-dips approach remains appropriate. Traders may consider accumulating positions near support zones on both indices while keeping tight stop-losses. Booking partial profits near resistance levels is prudent amid the prevailing range-bound structure.

Nifty snapped its three-day losing streak with modest gains, mirroring a similar rebound in Bank Nifty, as global sentiment strengthened after the US Fed’s rate cut revived risk appetite and boosted prospects for foreign inflows, a firmer rupee and improved liquidity.

The lift was tempered by three key drags — a weakening rupee near 90.41/USD, relentless FII outflows of Rs 1,50,960 crore so far in FY26, and Wall Street’s slide amid AI-sector worries.

Vodafone Idea stayed in focus after scaling a 52-week high on hopes of debt-relief measures and steady 4G/5G expansion, while Shakti Pumps and Seamec gained on project-related triggers.

With India’s November inflation print due today and expected to remain within the RBI’s comfort band, the market is watching for cues on future rate cuts.

Technically, Nifty’s structure has turned positive with buy-on-dips preferred, support at 25,703 and potential to reclaim 26,000–26,326.

Trading ideas: Nifty 25,899 — buy with stops at 25,591 for 26,000/26,203 and 26,325–26,500; Bank Nifty 59,210 — buy with stops at 57,901 for 59,800/60,200 and 60,550–60,900.

Bullish setups include Cholamandalam Finance, Pondy Oxides & Chemicals and Dredging Corporation on dips. Stock of the day: Grasim — buy at Rs 2,811 with stops at Rs 2,677 for Rs 2,901/2,990 and an aggressive target of Rs 3,151.

Indian rupee opened near record low at 90.42 per dollar on Friday versus previous close of 90.36.

Benchmark indices are trading firm in the pre-opening session.

The Sensex was up 166 points or 0.20 percent at 84,984.13, and the Nifty was up 51.80 points or 0.20 percent at 25,950.35.

#1 Stocks underperformed despite decent pre-sales as investors await cash flows & project completions

#2 Industry health remains strong with low unsold inventory, controlled debt levels & robust launch pipelines

Asian stocks rallied after gauges of US and global equities hit fresh records, with sentiment boosted by this week’s Federal Reserve’s rate cut and its upbeat assessment of the US economy.

First Water Fund, part of First Water Capital founded by Arun Chulani and Kunal Bhakta in 2017, has picked up an additional 5.45 lakh shares (0.75% stake) in Uflex, the packaging solutions provider, for Rs 25.07 crore at Rs 460 per share from K2 Family Private Trust.

Additionally, on December 3, both parties exchanged 3 lakh shares of Uflex at Rs 477 per share.

As a result, the shareholding of First Water Fund may have increased to 3.64%, from 2.47% at the end of September 2025.

#1 Enters men’s personal care via acquisition of Reginald Men

#2 Aims for category and channel expansion to scale revenues to over Rs 500 crore

#3 The probability of sustained scalability in the core portfolio remains uncertain

Gallantt Industry bought 9.67 lakh shares (0.4% stake) in Gallantt Ispat for Rs 57.05 crore at Rs 590 per share, from K and K Ventures.

In the previous trading session, the share closed at Rs 65.00, up Rs 1.20, or 1.88 percent.

The share touched a 52-week high of Rs 75.90 and a 52-week low of Rs 45.00 on 10 May, 2022 and 28 February, 2022, respectively.

Currently, the stock is trading 14.36 percent below its 52-week high and 44.44 percent above its 52-week low.

Market capitalisation stands at Rs 1,835.34 crore.

BNP Paribas Financial Markets acquired 1.77 crore equity shares (0.05% stake) in the bank for Rs 37.4 crore at Rs 21.08 per share, from Copthall Mauritius Investment.

In the previous trading session, the share closed up 0.97 percent or Rs 0.21 at Rs 21.94.

The share touched a 52-week high of Rs 24.30 and a 52-week low of Rs 16.02 on 13 October, 2025 and 12 March, 2025, respectively.

Currently, the stock is trading 9.71 percent below its 52-week high and 36.95 percent above its 52-week low.

Market capitalisation stands at Rs 68,842.34 crore.

The company has acquired Abu Dhabi & Gulf Computer Est. (ADGCE), an Abu Dhabi-based technology consulting and digital services provider, to better serve customers across the region’s critical energy, utilities, transportation, and connectivity sectors.

The Board has granted approval for the sale of the company’s entire 60% stake in Kansai Paints Lanka, its subsidiary in Sri Lanka, to Atire, a Sri Lankan entity. The company will be executing an agreement for the sale of its stake.

First Water Fund, a part of First Water Capital founded by Arun Chulani and Kunal Bhakta in 2017, has picked up additional 0.75 percent stake in Uflex, the packaging solutions provider, via open market transactions on December 11. Read More

The U.S. dollar headed for its third straight weekly drop on Friday, hurt by the prospect of rate cuts next year after the Federal Reserve pushed back against hawkish market bets, lifting the euro and sterling to their highest since October.

The euro was steady at $1.1741 in early Asian hours after a 0.37% rise in the previous session, while the pound ‌was ‌marginally firmer at $1.33955. Both are poised for their third straight week of gains as the dollar remains under pressure.

The dollar index, which measures the U.S. currency against six major rivals, was at 98.34, set for a weekly drop of 0.7%. The index is down over 9% this year, on pace for its steepest annual drop since 2017.

The Japanese yen took advantage of the soft dollar and is poised to snap ⁠its two-week losing streak ⁠and eke out a small gain for the week. It fetched 155.61 per dollar ahead of next week's Bank of Japan meeting where the broad expectation is of a rate hike.

Eastman Auto and Power, an energy-transition and power-electronics company, has filed confidential IPO papers with markets regulator SEBI to raise funds, with people familiar with the matter estimating the issue size at Rs 1,800-2,000 crore.

The proposed IPO will be a combination of fresh issuance and an offer for sale (OFS) component, they added. Read More

Oil prices rose on Friday as the prospect of the U.S. intercepting more Venezuelan oil tankers deepened supply concerns, but remained on track for a weekly decline amid optimism over a possible Russia-Ukraine peace agreement.

Brent crude futures rose 29 cents, or ‌0.5%, ‌to $61.57 a barrel, and U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was at $57.91 a barrel, up 31 cents, or 0.5%.

Both benchmarks fell about 1.5% on ‍Thursday.

The US FDA conducted a general Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) inspection of Piramal Pharma’s Lexington (Kentucky, USA) facility from December 3–10. At the conclusion of the inspection, the US FDA issued a Form 483 with four observations.

These observations relate to enhancements in procedures and will be classified as VAI (Voluntary Action Indicated).

The company has announced the acquisition of BTM Ventures, the parent company of Reginald Men, founded in August 2022 by Trisha Reddy Talasani. Reginald Men, a premium personal-care brand for men, offers sunscreen and serum, which are focus categories for Honasa.

As part of the transaction, Honasa will acquire a 95% stake at an enterprise value of Rs 195 crore. The remaining 5% will be acquired after 12 months based on pre-agreed valuation criteria.

The company has secured Device-as-a-Service (DaaS) Project from Jammu & Kashmir Bank for Rs 74.99 crores.

The project involves deploying 9,851 advanced desktops across 1,019 branches PAN India on an Opex-based DaaS model for a period of 5 years.

In the previous trading session, the share closed at Rs 2,800.40, up Rs 26.30, or 0.95 percent.

The share touched a 52-week high of Rs 5,002.95 and a 52-week low of Rs 2,744.20 on 17 December, 2024 and 08 December, 2025, respectively.

Currently, the stock is trading 44.03 percent below its 52-week high and 2.05 percent above its 52-week low.

Market capitalisation stands at Rs 33,368.53 crore.

Nifty remained firm after an initial decline in the early trading hour. On the downside, it slipped below the previous day's low, while on the upside it faced resistance at the 21EMA on the daily timeframe. This reflects an underlying bearish market structure, where the index struggles to move above resistance but easily breaches support levels.

In the short term, 25,700 is likely to act as support. A decisive break below 25,700 could give bears the upper hand. Conversely, unless Nifty moves above 26,000, caution and fear may continue to dominate market sentiment.

ICICI Prudential Asset Management Company, a part of the leading private sector lender ICICI Bank, has raised Rs 3,021.8 crore from 149 anchor investors on December 11, a day before the launch of mega IPO worth Rs 10,603 crore at a valuation of Rs 1.07 lakh crore. Read More

Markets staged a rebound on the weekly expiry day, rising nearly 0.5% after three consecutive sessions of decline. Following initial volatility, the Nifty gradually moved higher and closed near the day’s peak at 25,897. Most sectors participated in the rebound, with auto, metals and pharma leading the gains. The broader markets also saw relief, with both midcap and smallcap indices advancing close to 1%.

Buying across IT, auto, metals, realty and banking helped offset recent weakness, supported by a decline in India VIX and positive global cues after Wall Street strengthened post the Fed policy outcome. Meanwhile, steady domestic sentiment was reinforced by robust equity inflows of Rs 29,894 crore in November. However, continued weakness in rupee capped the momentum.

It may still be premature to celebrate this rebound. A sustained move above the first key hurdle—the 20-DEMA around 25,950—is essential to confirm further recovery; failure to do so could trigger renewed profit-taking. Participants should closely track the performance of banking and IT, which will be crucial for market direction. Global cues, especially from the US markets, will also remain influential.

On the sectoral front, several stocks within private banking, auto, metals and pharma continue to exhibit relative strength, while pockets of weakness in other sectors still offer opportunities on the short side. Traders should position selectively with a strong emphasis on risk management.

Asian stocks advanced in early trade on Friday following strength on Wall Street overnight, though a fresh decline in Oracle's share price sent jitters through the tech sector.

Financial markets had to move fast to find their footing this week when the Federal Reserve cut interest rates but gave a less hawkish outlook than expected, and the return of AI bubble worries ‌added ‌to the stress for investors.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was up 0.7%, tracking mostly higher U.S. markets on Thursday - the Dow and Russell 2000 indices hit new highs but the Nasdaq fell.

Tokyo's Nikkei 225 ‍outperformed the region in morning trade, climbing 1% as shares in Softbank Group surged 6% after Bloomberg News reported it is considering acquiring the U.S. data centre company Switch Inc.

Trends on GIFT Nifty indicate a positive start for the broader index in India, with a gain of 108 points or 0.42 percent. The Nifty futures were trading around 26,134.50 level.

The S&P 500 and the Dow boasted record closing highs on Thursday after a Federal Reserve policy update that was less hawkish than expected while the tech-heavy Nasdaq underperformed as Oracle's financial update made investors wary of artificial intelligence bets.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 646.26 points, or 1.34%, to 48,704.01, vaulting above its November 12 closing record. The S&P 500 gained 14.32 points, or 0.21%, to 6,901.00, breaching its October 28 record close. The Nasdaq Composite lost 60.30 points, or 0.25%, to 23,593.86.

The Indian equity indices snapped three-day losing streak with Nifty closing at 25,900 amid positive global cues led by US Federal Reserve's 25-basis-point interest rate cut.

At close, the Sensex was up 426.86 points or 0.51 percent at 84,818.13, and the Nifty was up 140.55 points or 0.55 percent at 25,898.55.

BSE Midcap index rose 0.8% and smallcap index added 0.5%.

Kotak Mahindra Bank, Eternal, Jio Financial, Tata Steel, Grasim Industries were among major gainers on the Nifty, while losers were Bharti Airtel, Asian Paints, SBI Life Insurance, Bajaj Finance, Axis Bank.

All the sectoral indices ended in the green with auto, IT, pharma, telecom, PSU Bank, Private Bank, metal, realty up 0.5-1%.

The biggest risk of all is not taking one.