Mumbai: The Indian equity benchmarks posted gains for the second consecutive week, supported by a sharp correction in crude oil prices and strong first-quarter FY27 corporate earnings.

The Nifty rose 0.77 per cent over the week and closed 0.27 per cent lower on the final trading day at 24,570. The Sensex ended the week 0.52 per cent higher, though it fell 455 points, or 0.58 per cent, on the last session to close at 78,499.

Small-cap stocks continued to outperform, backed by solid earnings traction and stock-specific catalysts. PSU banks led sectoral gains on improving fundamentals. Metals benefited from a stronger growth outlook and resilient domestic demand, while automobiles gained on expectations of healthy festive-season demand, market watchers said.

The week began on a volatile note after the rollout of the new F&O Closing Auction Session (CAS) framework. Markets regained stability as participants adapted to the revised system, an analyst noted.

“Sentiment improved meaningfully with the sharp decline in crude oil prices, which helped strengthen the macroeconomic outlook and supported expectations of easing inflationary pressures,” the analyst added.

Globally, softer labour-market indicators reduced the likelihood of a near-term US Federal Reserve rate hike. That led to a moderation in US bond yields and a weaker dollar. Sustained safe-haven demand ahead of key US economic data releases provided additional support to gold prices.

On the domestic front, the Reserve Bank of India reinforced confidence by maintaining its policy stance while modestly upgrading its growth outlook and lowering inflation projections. The ongoing Q1 FY27 earnings season further strengthened investor confidence, with results broadly exceeding expectations and driving broad-based buying interest.

Broader market indices outperformed the benchmarks. The Nifty Midcap100 added 0.87 per cent and the Nifty Smallcap100 jumped 2.73 per cent during the week.

Looking ahead, investors will watch upcoming US labour-market and inflation data for clarity on the Fed’s policy trajectory. Domestically, CPI and WPI inflation readings, along with credit-growth trends, are expected to offer key insights into India’s growth-inflation dynamics.

The combination of softer oil prices, constructive policy signals and better-than-expected earnings helped equity markets extend gains for a second week, even as the final session saw some profit-taking.