US Fed rate pause, slower FPI selling lift sensex by 905 pts

MUMBAI: The US central bank's decision to keep interest rates unchanged late on Wednesday, combined with some slowdown in the intensity of selling by foreign funds in recent days, boosted investor sentiment on Dalal Street on Thursday.

As a result, sensex rallied 905 points or 1.2% to close at 74,151 points while on NSE, Nifty jumped 238 points or 1.1% to close at 22,937 points.

The gains in the leading indices came despite Brent crude prices hovering around the $110 per barrel level and the rupee slightly weaker below the 95-to-the-dollar mark. According to Vinod Nair, head of research, Geojit Investments, the domestic markets rallied on Thursday on the back of the Fed's rate pause decision, marginal easing in crude prices and renewed institutional buying.

These factors combined to improve risk appetite for investors despite a challenging external backdrop, he said."Recent foreign buying alongside sustained domestic institutional support have improved liquidity backdrop. The broader thesis remains supported by selective earnings resilience and domestic demand stability, although elevated input costs could test margin durability. However, elevated Brent, rupee weakness, rising domestic bond yields and persisting geopolitical uncertainty remain key risks," Nair said.

Data from NSDL showed that so far this week, foreign funds were net buyers in the secondary market over two sessions. Provisional data for Thursday, however, showed net selling of Rs 944 crore while domestic funds were net buyers at Rs 1,924 crore, data from BSE showed. Meanwhile, a day after a blockbuster debut on the bourses, Jio Platforms' stock witnessed a volatile session. The stock hit a new high at Rs 1,490 but soon saw some profit-taking at higher levels, touched an intraday low at Rs 1,381 and then again rallied to close at Rs 1,423, up marginally from its previous close at Rs 1,417.