Benchmark equity indices closed marginally higher on July 30 after a range-bound session, extending their winning streak for a second straight session following sharp sell-offs in the previous three sessions.
The Sensex surged 143.91 points, or 0.18 per cent, to close at 81,481.86. Likewise, the Nifty 50 closed higher by 33.95 points, or 0.14 per cent, at 24,855.05.
The two-day recovery has come despite ongoing uncertainty around the delayed India-US trade deal and mixed Q1 corporate earnings so far.
Broader Markets End Mixed
The broader markets showed mixed performance, as the Nifty Midcap 100 index closed nearly flat with a slight negative bias of 0.07 per cent, the Nifty Smallcap 100 index slipped 0.52 per cent, while the Nifty 500, which represents more than 90 per cent of the free-float market cap of all stocks listed on the NSE, ended 0.11 per cent higher. The Nifty Microcap 250 index, representing the top 250 companies beyond the Nifty 500 constituents, closed higher by 0.31 per cent.
India VIX, the volatility meter, eased 2.78 per cent to 11.21. The VIX reflects market participants' expectations of near-term volatility; a value below 15 generally indicates a stable or low-volatility market, while levels above 20 are often seen as signs of increased market uncertainty or fear.
IT, FMCG Shine; Realty, Auto, PSU Bank Sink
On the sectoral front, IT and FMCG led the gains, while auto, realty, and PSU banks ended the session in the red. The Nifty IT surged 0.31 per cent, emerging as the top sectoral gainer. It was followed by Nifty FMCG, which surged 0.24 per cent. Nifty Consumer Durables too gained 0.23 per cent, while Nifty Financial Services, Nifty Energy, and Nifty Pharma closed flat, however, with slight positive biases.
On the other hand, Nifty Realty slipped 0.96 per cent to emerge as the top sectoral loser. Nifty PSU Bank declined 0.66 per cent, followed by Nifty Auto, which fell 0.60 per cent. Nifty Private Bank too slipped 0.13 per cent. Nifty Media also fell 0.79 per cent.
Nifty Bank ended the session in red at 56,150.70, down 0.13 per cent.
Sensex: Top Gainers And Losers
Among the Sensex’s 30 stocks, Larsen & Toubro (L&T) surged 4.87 per cent after delivering a 30 per cent year-on-year (YoY) profit growth in Q1 FY26. L&T alone contributed 169.24 points to the Sensex, while Reliance Industries pulled the index down by 46.38 points and Tata Motors by 42.88 points.
Following L&T was Sun Pharma, which gained 1.41 per cent ahead of its Q1 results slated to be announced on July 31. NTPC, Maruti Suzuki India, Bharti Airtel, and Trent were also among the top gainers today.
On the other hand, Tata Motors fell 3.27 per cent following media reports that the company is in advanced talks to acquire the truck business of Italy-based Iveco Group from the Agnelli family in a deal valued at $4.5 billion. Power Grid, Eternal, Bajaj Finserv, Hindustan Unilever, and Kotak Mahindra Bank were other top losers.
Key Market Cues To Watch Tomorrow, July 31
US Federal Reserve Meeting: The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) of the US Federal Reserve is holding its two-day policy meeting on July 29-30. While markets widely expect interest rates to remain unchanged, investor focus will be on Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s post-meeting remarks for cues on the future policy stance.
All eyes will be on whether Powell maintains a hawkish tone or signals a shift towards a more dovish approach, especially amid consistent pressure by US President Donald Trump to reduce rates.
India-US Trade Deal: The India-US trade deal is stuck in a deadlock, with all eyes on the August 1 deadline. If no breakthrough is reached by then, Indian goods could face tariffs as high as 26 per cent.
In a latest development, The Hindu reported that Trump is seeking a conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi before giving the final approval to the much-anticipated agreement.
Q1 Results: As many as 139 companies listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) are set to report their earnings for the quarter ended June 30, 2025, on July 31. Among some of the big names are Adani Enterprises, Ambuja Cements, Coal India, Dabur, Eicher Motors, Hindustan Unilever, JSW Energy, Mankind Pharma, Maruti Suzuki India, Policy Bazaar, Sun Pharma, Swiggy, and Vedanta.
Investors will also be reacting to earnings released today, post-market hours.
