FINAL TRADE: Sensex up 86 pts; Nifty above 20,100; Delta Corp surges over 6%

Stock market today: The domestic equities settled higher for the third straight session on Thursday, November 30, the last day of the futures and options (F&O) contracts for the November series.

The benchmark indices settled marginally higher amid buying in auto, financial services, pharma, realty, and FMCG counters. Meanwhile, investors awaited the second-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) data, which will be announced later today.

The S&P BSE Sensex settled over 86.53 points, or 0.13 per cent, higher at 66,988.44, and the NSE Nifty rose 36.55 points, or 0.18 per cent, to close the session at 20,133.15.

Among the Nifty 50 stocks, 32 advanced, with UltraTech Cement, HDFC Life, Apollo Hospitals, Sun Pharma, and Bharti Airtel being the top gainers, rising between 1.94 per cent and 3.11 per cent. On the flip side, Adani Enterprises, Adani Ports, LTIMindtree, IndusInd Bank, and Reliance Industries were the top laggards, declining between 0.90 per cent and 1.3 per cent. 

"With an extreme swing on both sides, Nifty50 settled the monthly expiry day higher at 20,133.15 with gains of 36.55 points. Sector-wise, Realty and Pharma were the outperformers, and on the flip side, the PSU Banking sector was the major laggard," said Aditya Gaggar, Director of Progressive Shares.

Gaggar added that the interest of the market participants was more towards the broader markets as mid- and small-cap ended the session with gains of 0.68 per cent and 1.14 per cent respectively, and outperformed the frontline Index.

While the Nifty Mid Cap 100 closed half a per cent higher, the Nifty Small Cap 100 closed over 1 per cent up.

High-beta Nifty Bank was down 0.19 per cent at 44,481.75 at the close.

BUZZING STOCKS

After making a blockbuster debut on bourses, Tata Technologies' shares ended 162.85 per cent higher on the BSE.

Gandhar Oil Refinery, which also made its debut on bourses today, settled over 2 per cent higher on the BSE.

Delta Corp shares ended over 6 per cent higher after the company got interim relief from the Kolkata High Court in the GST demand case.

Metro Brands shares closed over 2 per cent higher on BSE after Foot Locker, a New York-based specialty athletic retailer, announced the signing of a long-term licencing agreement with the company.

Conversely, Thomas Cook shares hit the lower circuit and were down 5 per cent at the close after Fairbridge Capital (Mauritius) sold up to an 8.5 per cent stake in the company via an offer for sale (OFS).

GLOBAL MARKETS 

Asian shares were mostly higher Thursday ahead of an update on US consumer inflation and a meeting of oil producers in Vienna. Benchmarks rose in Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Shanghai. They fell in Seoul and Bangkok. US futures rose while oil prices slipped. Later Thursday, the US government is due to release its October data on the Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of inflation. Economists expect that measure to continue easing, as it has been since the middle of 2022.

The Federal Reserve is expected to keep its benchmark interest rate steady when it meets in December and to eventually begin paring rates down if inflation remains under control. 

The prospect of a potential easing of interest rates has relaxed upward pressure on the US dollar, allowing currencies like the Japanese yen to gain. 

(With agency inputs) 

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