New Delhi, 27 April (H.S.):

Indian equity benchmarks opened on a strong note on Monday as investors cheered fresh hopes of a breakthrough in peace efforts between the United States and Iran in West Asia. The rise in global risk appetite spilled over into domestic markets, with both the BSE Sensex and the NSE Nifty50 trading higher in the first hour of trade.

Benchmarks trade in the green

The BSE Sensex opened at 76,856.05, up 191.84 points, or 0.25 per cent, from the previous session’s close. After briefly dipping to around 76,754.20 on profit‑booking, the index regained momentum and climbed to 77,341.53 before settling at 77,260.28 by 10:15 a.m., marking a gain of 596.07 points, or 0.78 per cent, in the first hour.

On the National Stock Exchange, the Nifty50 opened at 23,945.45, up 47.50 points, or 0.20 per cent. After seesaw‑like moves between 23,936.20 and 24,107.60, the index stabilized at 24,084.70 by 10:15 a.m., reflecting a gain of 186.75 points, or 0.77 per cent, in the early session.

Market breadth turned overwhelmingly positive in the initial hour, with 2,815 stocks active on the trade. Of these, 2,386 advanced, while 429 declined, indicating a broad rally across mid‑ and small‑cap names. In the 30‑share Sensex universe, 26 stocks traded in the green and only four were in the red, showing strong participation from heavyweight names.

The Nifty50 also saw wide‑based strength, with 42 stocks trading higher and eight in the negative zone. Key risers included Sun Pharmaceutical, Adani Ports, JSW Steel, Kotak Mahindra Bank, and Tech Mahindra, which gained between 1.99 per cent and 7.36 per cent in the first hour. On the flip side, Axis Bank, Shriram Finance, Bharat Electronics, Coal India, and Bajaj Finance slipped between 0.15 per cent and 3.96 per cent, acting as relatively weak spots in an otherwise positive session.

Global cues and prior session

The gains come after both benchmarks ended Friday’s session on a weak note, with the Sensex closing at 76,664.21, down 999.79 points, or 1.29 per cent, and the Nifty settling at 23,897.95, lower by 275.10 points, or 1.14 per cent. Hopes of a second‑round peace dialogue between Washington and Tehran, along with easing global tensions, have revived investor confidence and triggered a fresh buying spree in early trade on Monday.

Analysts say that while the market remains sensitive to any setbacks in Middle‑East diplomacy and global crude‑oil volatility, the current tone reflects a “peace‑dividend” rally, with domestic liquidity and firm institutional buying supporting the upward momentum in Indian equities.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar