Indian stock markets ended on a positive note on Monday, buoyed by softer-than-expected U.S. jobs data and declining crude oil prices, which bolstered investor sentiment. The BSE Sensex rose by 472.77 points, or 0.66%, to close at 72,382.47, while the Nifty 50 climbed 133.80 points, or 0.60%, to settle at 22,555.75.
The rally was led by gains in major stocks including ITC, Eternal, Bharti Airtel, Bajaj Finance, Adani Ports, ICICI Bank, Reliance Industries, and Larsen & Toubro. Conversely, HCL Technologies, HDFC Bank, Sun Pharma, Infosys, and Asian Paints saw declines.
Investor sentiment was lifted by weaker U.S. employment data, which eased concerns about aggressive interest rate hikes by the U.S. Federal Reserve. Additionally, a dip in crude oil prices, with Brent crude trading around $102.40 per barrel, alleviated some inflationary pressures.
As markets absorbed these developments, attention is now shifting to domestic economic events, such as the upcoming Reserve Bank of India’s monetary policy decision and the next corporate earnings season.
Meanwhile, Asian markets presented a mixed picture, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 experiencing a gain of over 2%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index ended slightly higher.