RBI rate cut lifts markets; Sensex surges 447 points as banking stocks rally

Equity benchmarks ended Friday’s session with strong gains as the Reserve Bank of India’s 25 basis points repo rate cut to 5.25 per cent spurred broad-based buying in rate-sensitive sectors, with the Sensex closing at 85,712.37, up 447.05 points or 0.52 per cent, while the Nifty advanced 152.70 points or 0.59 per cent to settle at 26,186.45. The RBI’s unanimous decision, bringing cumulative cuts to 125 basis points since February 2025, was driven by record low retail inflation of 0.25 per cent in October. T ...