Sense͏x Up 247 Poi͏nts in Afternoon Trade, Nifty Nea͏r 24,6͏00 As͏ Metal Ind͏ex Jumps 3%, IT Stock͏s Slip

Mumbai, March 5, 20͏26: I͏ndian equity benchmarks trade͏d higher during afternoon tra͏de͏ on Thursda͏y, sn͏apping ͏a three-sessio͏n losing strea͏k as gains͏ in metal, inf͏rastru͏cture and e͏ne͏rgy ͏sto͏cks͏ helped stabili͏se the m͏a͏rket. The Sensex rose 247 points to 79,363, while the ͏Nifty 50 ͏adv͏anced 110 points t͏o 24͏,590, supported by positive globa͏l cues and broade͏r m͏arket participat͏ion.͏

͏T͏h͏e r͏ecovery follows ͏a ͏sha͏rp correction in re͏cent se͏ss͏ions, durin͏g ͏w͏h͏ich the Nifty d͏eclined near͏ly 2,000 poi͏nts͏ from its re͏cord high of 26,374, am͏id geopoliti͏c͏al conc͏erns l͏ink͏ed t͏o the ongoi͏ng US–Iran con͏flict and rising crude prices͏.

Sensex Nea͏r 79,400 As Nifty ͏Hol͏ds 24,600͏ Levels

B͏enchmark i͏ndices opened Thu͏rsday͏’s session o͏n a͏ stro͏nger note and ex͏tended gains into the aftern͏oon se͏ssion. At arou͏n͏d ͏1:55 PM, the Sensex was trad͏ing at 79,3͏63, up͏ 247͏ points or 0.3%, while͏ t͏he Nif͏ty rose ͏11͏0 points or 0.45% to 24,590.

The indices had earlier seen stronger gains, with the Sensex rising over 400 points and the Nifty crossing 24,650, before trimming part of the advance later in the session. Market breadth remained positive with 2,195 stocks advancing against 1,615 declines, indicating broader participation across sectors.

Metal Index Surges 3%, Driving Market Recovery

Sectoral performance showed strong gains in commodity and infrastructure-linked stocks. The Nifty Metal index emerged as the top performer, rising over 3%, followed by gains in oil & gas, pharma, realty and banking sectors.

Among key contributors to the rally, Bharat Electronics gained around 4.5%, NTPC climbed nearly 3%, while Reliance Industries and Larsen & Toubro advanced roughly 2.5–2.7%. Energy and infrastructure counters such as Power Grid and Adani Ports also traded higher, supporting the benchmark indices.

IT Index Falls Over 1%, Weighing on Benchmarks

Despite the broader market recovery, technology stocks remained under pressure during the session. The Nifty IT index declined more than 1%, making it the weakest sectoral performer.

Within the index, Tech Mahindra fell about 2%, emerging as the top Sensex loser, while HCLTech and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) also traded lower. Financial stocks, including State Bank of India and ICICI Bank, saw modest declines, adding to the drag from IT counters.

Midcap and Smallcap Indices Gain Up to 0.65%

Broader market indices traded in positive territory alongside the benchmark indices. The Nifty Midcap 100 index rose around 0.6%, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 gained approximately 0.65%, indicating strength in mid-sized and emerging companies.

At the same time, market volatility eased significantly, with the India VIX declining nearly 11%, suggesting reduced risk levels compared with the sharp spike recorded during the previous trading session.

NALCO Jumps 7% While Gujarat Gas Falls 6%

In the midcap segment, NALCO surged more than 7% to lead the gainers on the BSE Midcap index. Blue Star climbed nearly 5%, while Cochin Shipyard and JSW Infrastructure gained about 4% each during the session.

On the losing side, Aegis Vopak and Gujarat Gas declined over 6%, while Coromandel International fell more than 4%. Technology and financial stocks including Mphasis, Muthoot Finance and Coforge were also among the notable laggards.

Reliance and Tejas Networks See Heavy Trading Volumes

Trading activity remained robust across exchanges during the session. Reliance Industries recorded trading volumes of more than 1.44 crore shares on the National Stock Exchange (NSE), while the Nippon India Silver Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) saw heavy participation with over 8 crore units traded.

Stocks such as Tejas Networks and Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders also witnessed strong activity. On the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), Tejas Networks led the activity chart, followed by Bharti Airtel and Lloyds Metals.

Global Market Cues Support Indian Equities

The recovery in Indian equities came after positive signals from global markets. Asian markets advanced following gains on Wall Street, while a weaker US dollar and value buying in select sectors supported domestic equities during the session.

At the same time, market participants continued to track developments in global geopolitics and movements in crude oil prices, which remain key external factors influencing market direction.

Indian benchmark indices traded higher during afternoon trade on March 5, 2026, supported by gains in metal, energy and infrastructure stocks, while IT shares remained under pressure. Broader markets also advanced and volatility declined sharply, with India VIX falling nearly 11%, even as global cues and geopolitical developments continued to shape market movement during the session.