Indian stock markets rallied sharply on Friday, snapping a three-day losing streak, as easing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East restored investor confidence.
Markets gained momentum after the US indicated it remains open to diplomatic talks with Iran and would wait two weeks before deciding on direct support for Israel. The move reduced immediate war fears, spurring broad-based buying across sectors.
The Sensex surged 1,046 points or 1.29% to close at 82,408.17, after hitting an intraday high of 82,488.21. The Nifty also gained 319.95 points, closing at 25,112.4.
Vinod Nair of Geojit Financial Services said, &ldquo;Equity indices rose sharply as geopolitical risk subsided, with crude oil prices correcting and investor sentiment improving, especially among foreign institutional investors.&rdquo;
Among Sensex constituents, Bharti Airtel was the top performer, rising 3.27%, while Maruti Suzuki was the only stock to end in the red. Other major gainers included Mahindra &amp; Mahindra, Power Grid, and Nestle India.
The broader market mirrored the bullish trend, with the Nifty Midcap 100 gaining 1.46% and the Nifty Smallcap 100 rising 1.01%. All NSE sectoral indices ended in the green, led by the Nifty Realty index, which climbed 2.11%.
Banking stocks were strong performers, with Bank Nifty, Nifty PSU Bank, and Nifty Private Bank all posting gains above 1%. Other sectors like Auto, Metal, Financial Services, and Healthcare also saw notable gains.
Ashika Institutional Equity&rsquo;s Sundar Kewat said, &ldquo;There is firm participation across sectors, and market sentiment remains upbeat with strong support from mid and small-cap segments.&rdquo;
Market volatility eased, with India VIX &mdash; the volatility index &mdash; falling 4.08% to 13.67. The Indian rupee also appreciated by 0.15 to close at 86.57 against the US dollar, aided by softer crude prices and a weakening dollar index.
Jateen Trivedi of LKP Securities noted that ongoing FII and DII inflows have supported the rupee, helping it remain resilient despite recent global tensions. Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by the Benefit News editorial team and is published directly from the IANS news feed.

Markets rally as US signals diplomacy on Iran; all sectors end in green

Sensex surges 1,046 pts as tensions ease

Markets rally as US signals diplomacy on Iran; all sectors end in green

June 20, 2025 | 16:39 IST