Mumbai, July 30 — Indian equity benchmarks closed with modest gains on Thursday after a subdued session, as investors monitored evolving geopolitical developments in West Asia.
The BSE Sensex advanced 273.55 points, or 0.35 per cent, to settle at 77,928.15. The NSE Nifty 50 rose 66.95 points, or 0.28 per cent, to end the day at 24,317.15.
Technical analysts noted that the 24,300–24,400 zone remains the immediate and critical resistance band for the Nifty. “A sustained move and close above this band will be essential to confirm stronger bullish momentum and could pave the way for an advance towards the 24,500–24,600 resistance zone, where the next significant supply is expected to emerge,” one market expert said. On the downside, the 24,200 level is seen as the first line of support, followed by the psychologically important 24,000 mark.
Mahindra & Mahindra, Coal India and Eicher Motors ranked among the top gainers on the Nifty, helping the benchmark remain in positive territory despite mixed breadth across the market.
Broader indices underperformed the frontline benchmarks. The Nifty MidCap index closed 0.35 per cent lower, while the Nifty SmallCap index declined 0.56 per cent. Among sectoral gauges, the Nifty Realty index was the weakest performer, falling 2 per cent. The Nifty Chemical index also ended lower and lagged the broader market.
In contrast, the Nifty Auto, Nifty Oil & Gas and Nifty Consumer Durables indices outperformed, providing the primary support that limited the impact of weakness elsewhere and allowed the headline indices to finish higher.
Market participants remained cautious throughout the day, tracking geopolitical developments in West Asia. The resulting sentiment produced a largely range-bound trading pattern, with only modest advances recorded by the Sensex and Nifty.
The session’s outcome reflected selective buying in a handful of heavyweight stocks, particularly within the automobile sector, against a backdrop of restrained overall participation and continued focus on external risk factors.
