Market Surges for Fourth Straight Session, Sensex Up by 1508.91 points, Nifty up by 414.45 points

The Indian equity markets closed higher for the fourth consecutive trading session on Thursday, April 17, 2025. The Nifty 50 index rallied by 414.45 points, or 1.76%, to close at 23,851.65. Simultaneously, the BSE Sensex jumped by 1,508.91 points, or 1.95%, to settle at 78,553.20 

Factors Driving the Market Rally 

Several factors contributed to this significant market surge. 

Firstly, positive cues from US Futures, which were up by over 1%, boosted overall market sentiment, with Asian markets also closing with notable gains. 

Secondly, a huge build-up of Open Interest at and above the 23,600 levels on the Nifty suggests a broad market expectation of an upward trend. 

Thirdly, Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) have been net buyers in the last two consecutive sessions, purchasing equities worth over ₹9,000 crore. This buying activity is considered a major sentiment booster, encouraging domestic investors to re-enter the market and resume buying.

Moreover we also saw heavy buying activity in the Banking Stocks  as well.

Sectoral Performance and Key Movers 

It was no surprise that leading the sectoral gains were private banks with Nifty Private Bank Index up 2.33%. ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank's share price reached a new 52-week high, rising 3.73%  and  1.52% to an intra-day high respectively. Nifty Pharma also closed the day strongly with a gain of 1.6%. Sun Pharma led the pack with a 3.44% rise.  

Bharti Airtel (up 3.31%), and Eternal (up 4.47%) were other stand out performers in the Nifty50 Index as well. 

Broader Market Sentiment 

The overall market sentiment appeared strong, with advances outpacing declines. Out of the 2,755 stocks traded on the Nifty, 1,853 were advancing, while only 820 were in the red. Furthermore, 55 stocks hit their 52-week highs, and 89 stocks locked in upper circuits, indicating significant bullish activity. However, the broader market indices showed mild weakness in the morning, with the Nifty MidCap 50 increased by 0.63% index and Nifty  MidCap 100 increased by 0.60%.

Global and Domestic Cues 

Asian markets mostly saw gains, with Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index leading the way. This positive trend in Asian markets provided a supportive backdrop for the Indian rally. Domestically, analysts at Geojit Investments highlighted India's recent market outperformance, attributing it to the country's domestic consumption-driven economy being less impacted by potential tariff crises and the market possibly anticipating a US-India trade agreement.

In conclusion, the Indian stock markets witnessed a strong surge driven by positive global cues, significant open interest build-up in anticipation of further gains, and robust buying activity from FIIs, particularly in banking and oil & gas sectors. While the tech sector faced headwinds, the overall market sentiment remained bullish, extending the winning streak to four consecutive sessions.

Market Update

As of today, April 17, 2025, the Indian stock markets are trading in following manner:

• The Sensex is up by 599.02 points (0.78%), trading near 77,643.31.

• The Nifty 50 is up about 165 points (0.71%), hovering around 23,601.65

Top Gainers of the Market

1.ICICI Bank

• Opening Price: ₹1,362.00
  
  
• Closing Price (LTP): ₹1,378.70
  
  
• % Change: +1.64%
  The rise is driven by strong credit growth projections and optimism around private sector banks outperforming public peers. The bank’s retail loan portfolio grew 10.5% YoY, supported by digital banking adoption and robust asset quality. Its CET-1 (Common Equity Tier 1) ratio stood at 15%. This ratio is important as it is a core measure of a bank’s financial strength. It includes the bank’s core capital, which primarily consists of common shares and retained earnings. Moreover, the company exited FY25 with a RoE of 17.6%, fueling investor confidence.
  

2. Grasim Industries

• Opening Price: ₹2,701.00
  
  
• Closing Price (LTP): ₹2,738.50
  
  
• % Change: +1.32%
  The positive outlook stems from its diversified portfolio spanning cement and financial services through its holding company Aditya Birla Capital Ltd.. Institutional buying revived after the company reported an 8.85% YoY increase in consolidated net sales for December 2024 quarter, boosting investor sentiment.
  

3. Sun Pharma

• Opening Price: ₹1,695.00
  
  
• Closing Price (LTP): ₹1,712.50
  
  
• % Change: +1.15%
  Sun Pharma’s shares rose to ₹1,712.50 following a favorable US court ruling that lifted a preliminary injunction on its drug Leqselvi, enabling a potential launch. Expectations of strong earnings growth in specialty and US generics also supported the stock.
  

4. Bharti Airtel

• Opening Price: ₹1,834.00
  
  
• Closing Price (LTP): ₹1,840.90
  
  
• % Change: +1.00%
  Bharti Airtel edged higher, supported by increased average revenue per user (ARPU) and growing 5G adoption. Market participants see strength in its competitive position and strong subscriber base.
  

5. Adani Enterprises

• Opening Price: ₹2,418.00
  
  
• Closing Price (LTP): ₹2,435.80
  
  
• % Change: +0.94%
  Adani Enterprises advanced amid positive sentiment around infrastructure growth and strategic expansion across sectors. Continued global interest in Indian infrastructure stories supported the stock.

Top Losers of the Market

1.Wipro Ltd.

• Opening Price: ₹235.00
  
  
• Closing Price (LTP): ₹234.10
  
  
• % Change: -5.47%
  Wipro led the market losses after weak guidance and margin pressures in its IT services business. Concerns over demand softness in key geographies further dampened investor sentiment.
  

2. HCL Technologies

• Opening Price: ₹1,420.00
  
  
• Closing Price (LTP): ₹1,391.90
  
  
• % Change: -2.78%
  HCL Tech shares declined amid broader IT sector weakness and cautious outlooks.The stock underperformed due to worries over global tech spending and delayed deal conversions. It traded below key moving averages, signaling bearish momentum
  

3. Hero MotoCorp

• Opening Price: ₹3,781.90
  
  
• Closing Price (LTP): ₹3,689.60
  
  
• % Change: -2.44%
  Hero MotoCorp slipped to ₹3,689.60 following a temporary halt at four plants for maintenance, raising concerns over near-term production disruptions and margin pressures amid slow rural demand recovery
  

4. Tech Mahindra

• Opening Price: ₹1,295.10
  
  
• Closing Price (LTP): ₹1,284.20
  
  
• % Change: -1.87%
  Brief: Tech Mahindra continued to slide due to weakness in telecom and enterprise segments, operational inefficiencies and ongoing restructuring as reasons for caution.
  

5. Infosys

• Opening Price: ₹1,398.00
  
  
• Closing Price (LTP): ₹1,393.10
  
  
• % Change: -1.08%
  Infosys lost ground due to persistent macroeconomic uncertainty impacting client budgets. Despite strong fundamentals, the stock mirrored sector-wide weakness in IT. Infosys will announce its Q4FY25 results today. Analysts anticipate Infosys to report approximately 10% year-on-year revenue growth for Q4 FY25, while profit forecasts vary, ranging from a 10% increase to a 19% decline, reflecting uncertainty over margins and cost pressures.
  

Market Open

Indian benchmark equities opened in the red on Thursday, with the BSE Sensex down 76.27 points (0.10%) to 76,968.02 and the Nifty 50 slipping 35.35 points (0.15%) to 23,401.85, as Wall Street’s overnight losses on mounting trade‑tariff concerns weighed on sentiment.

Factors Influencing Market Sentiment

• Trump’s Tariff Policies and Powell’s Warning: Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell told the Economic Club of Chicago that President Trump’s sweeping tariff hikes are unlike anything the Fed has seen before, complicating its efforts to steer the economy. He warned that the scale of these levies, much larger than anticipated, makes their lasting impact hard to forecast and could trigger the rare combination of rising prices and joblessness—a dilemma not faced in nearly 50 years.
• Escalating US–China Trade Dispute: The standoff with China has intensified, with the US slapping a hefty 245% duty on Chinese imports. Beijing has signaled willingness to negotiate but insists Washington must abandon coercive tactics and threats before meaningful talks can resume.
• Eyes on Quarterly Earnings: Against this backdrop, Indian markets will today digest Q4 results from several blue‑chips. Infosys, HDFC Life, HDFC Asset Management, Jio Financial Services and Tata Elxsi are all due to report, alongside Mahindra EPC Irrigation, Indosolar and National Standard (India), making it a pivotal session for investors.

Global Backdrop:

• US Dollar: On Thursday morning, the US Dollar Index (DXY) — which measures the greenback against six major currencies — rose 0.13% to 99.51. The index measures the dollar's relative strength against currencies like the Pound, Euro, Krona, Yen and Franc. Meanwhile, the Indian Rupee fell 0.10%, closing at ₹85.68 per US dollar on April 15.

• Gold Rate Today: Gold prices in India reached a new high on Wednesday, April 16, as MCX prices reached ₹94,919 per 10 g. 24‑carat gold is now at ₹96,180 per 10 g, 22‑carat at ₹88,160, and 18‑carat at ₹72,140, according to Goodreturns.

• Crude Oil: Early Thursday, oil futures advanced as West Texas Intermediate increased 0.85% to $63.00 per barrel and Brent crude gained 0.70% to $66.09, following a mostly cautious tone across world markets.

Stocks in Focus:

• Wipro: Q4 FY25 net profit ₹3,570 cr (+26% YoY); revenue ₹22,500 cr (+0.8% QoQ, +1.3% YoY); Q1 FY26 IT services revenue outlook reduced by 1.5–3.5% in constant currency.
• Infosys: Q4 FY25 revenue seen declining ~0.9% sequentially in CC (1.2% in USD); results and dividend call awaited.
• HUL vs. Honasa: HUL sued Honasa for brand disparagement in Bombay HC; Honasa had previously filed similarly in Delhi HC.
• UltraTech Cement: Acquired 26% of renewable‐energy company AMPIN C&I Power Eight for ₹25 cr.
• BHEL: Executed tech‐transfer agreement with BARC for mixed‐matrix membrane electrolyser systems to enhance green hydrogen production.
• IRFC: Madras HC reversed Assistant Commissioner of Service Tax's ₹230.55 cr demand order (Dec 4, 2024).
• Hero MotoCorp: Closing four plants (Dharuhera, Gurugram, Haridwar, Neemrana) Apr 17–19, 2025 for maintenance; production commences Apr 21.
• Paytm: MD Vijay Shekhar Sharma returned 2.1 cr ESOP shares, triggering one‐time non‑cash Q4 charge of ₹492 cr.
• DLF: Sold its Kolkata IT‑ITeS SEZ project (25.9 ac; 1,054,357 sq ft) to Srijan Group for ₹693 cr.
• Zaggle Prepaid Ocean: Received NPCI TPAP approval to implement UPI‑based payment services.
• Lupin: Lost U.S. court case on its generic Myrbetriq.
• Dalmia Cement: Enforcement Directorate provisionally attached land valued at ₹793.34 cr.

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