Sensex up 174 points on gains in bank, IT stocks

Market Performance - Stock markets closed higher for the second consecutive session, driven by gains in bank, IT, and capital goods shares [3] - The 30-share BSE Sensex increased by 173.81 points, or 0.21%, closing at 83,450.96, with a daily range between 83,598 and 82,987.43 [3] - The 50-share NSE Nifty rose by 42.65 points, or 0.17%, settling at 25,725.40 [4] Gainers and Losers - Major gainers among Sensex constituents included ITC, Bharat Electronics Ltd, Larsen & Toubro, Infosys, Asian Paints, Titan, Adani Ports, HCL Technologies, Sun Pharmaceuticals, Maruti Suzuki India, IndiGo, State Bank of India, and Tech Mahindra [5] - On the downside, stocks such as Eternal, Tata Steel, Trent, Reliance Industries, Mahindra & Mahindra, Bajaj Finserv, Axis Bank, Bharti Airtel, Kotak Mahindra Bank, and Hindustan Unilever experienced losses [8] Sector Performance - Defence stocks gained 1.3%, influenced by expectations surrounding discussions on the acquisition of additional Rafale fighter jets [12] - The IT sector saw a selective recovery following a sharp correction, supported by strategic collaborations with global AI partners [10] - Among sectoral indices, PSU Bank rose by 2.36%, IT by 1.15%, Industrials by 1.13%, and Capital Goods by 0.76% [10] Market Sentiment - Analysts noted that domestic markets traded in a range-bound manner, with a cautiously optimistic outlook amid global cues and domestic developments [9][14] - The market capitalization of BSE-listed firms increased by ₹152,688.24 crore to ₹4,70,11,313.57 crore (approximately $5.18 trillion) [11]