New Delhi, 25 June (H.S.):

After posting strong gains during the early hours of trading, the domestic stock market surrendered most of its advances in the second half of the session due to profit booking and eventually closed with marginal gains. Trading began on a positive note, with investors encouraged by the decline in global crude oil prices. Strong buying during the first half of the day propelled both the Sensex and Nifty sharply higher. However, profit-taking in the latter half significantly reduced those gains. At the close, both benchmark indices ended 0.14 per cent higher.

Throughout the trading session, buying interest remained strong in FMCG, realty, banking, and automobile stocks. On the other hand, IT, media, and energy stocks remained under sustained selling pressure. Indices representing public sector enterprises, oil and gas, metals, healthcare, consumer durables, and capital goods also ended in negative territory.

The broader market witnessed selling pressure as well. As a result, the Nifty Midcap Index closed 0.55 per cent lower, while the Smallcap Index ended the session down 0.47 per cent.

Despite the benchmark indices finishing in positive territory, heavy selling in midcap and smallcap stocks eroded investor wealth by more than ₹75,000 crore. The market capitalization of companies listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) declined to ₹475.16 lakh crore (provisional) at the close of trading, compared with ₹475.92 lakh crore in the previous session. Consequently, investors suffered a notional loss of nearly ₹76,000 crore during the day.

A total of 4,406 stocks were actively traded on the BSE. Of these, 1,641 advanced, 2,581 declined, and 184 remained unchanged. On the National Stock Exchange (NSE), 2,992 stocks witnessed active trading, with 1,020 ending higher and 1,972 closing lower.

Among the 30 constituent stocks of the Sensex, 11 ended in positive territory while 19 closed lower. Similarly, among the 50 stocks in the Nifty index, 23 advanced and 27 declined.

The BSE Sensex opened 399.85 points higher at 77,391.07. Continued buying shortly after the opening bell pushed the index to an intraday high of 77,803.18, up 811.96 points, shortly after noon. Encouraged by the rally, investors began booking profits during the second half of the session.

Persistent selling dragged the Sensex down by 810.02 points from its intraday peak, bringing it close to the flat line at 76,993.16 shortly before the close. However, the index recovered marginally and eventually settled 109.25 points higher at 77,100.47.

Similarly, the NSE Nifty opened 104.20 points higher at 24,125.85. Strong buying support drove the index to an intraday high of 24,261.60, representing a gain of 239.95 points. Thereafter, profit booking triggered a decline in the benchmark.

Continuous selling pressure pulled the Nifty down by 222.60 points from its peak to 24,039 before the close. Nevertheless, the index remained in positive territory throughout the trading session and finally ended 34.35 points higher at 24,056.

Among the market's major gainers, InterGlobe Aviation rose 4.66 per cent, followed by Max Healthcare Institute at 3.85 per cent, Mahindra & Mahindra at 3.84 per cent, Maruti Suzuki India at 3.75 per cent, and Tata Consumer Products at 3.02 per cent.

On the losing side, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation declined 2.88 per cent, followed by Power Grid Corporation of India at 2.41 per cent, Hindalco Industries at 2.40 per cent, Tech Mahindra at 1.68 per cent, and Bharat Electronics at 1.54 per cent.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar