FINAL TRADE: Nifty ends at 21,983, Sensex gains 195 pts with GDP data, US inflation print on deck

Stock market today: Domestic equity benchmarks ended Thursday's (February 29) choppy trade in the green amid a fag-end recovery due to buying in IT and auto stocks as investors eagerly await the country's GDP data as well as the US' jobs and inflation print (personal consumption expenditures) later today. Besides, the market was volatile since it was the last day of the February F&O series.

"Investors adopted a cautious wait-and-watch approach on the verge of a heavy economic data week," Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Financial Services, said. 

Nifty rose 0.14 per cent, or 31.65 points, to close at 21,982.8, while Sensex settled at 72,500.3, up 0.27 per cent or 195.42 points. Adani Enterprises, Adani Ports, IndusInd Bank, Tata Consumer Products, and Britannia were among the top gainers in the Nifty 50 basket among 32 advancing stocks. On the flip side, Apollo Hospitals, Bajaj Auto, LTIMindtree, Eicher Motors, and UPL were among the top losers.

"India's Q3 GDP has a moderate outlook on a QoQ basis. The Fed's preferred gauge, the US personal consumption expenditure (PCE) price data, is due to provide a clue on the future interest rate cut path, and China’s PMI index is scheduled to be released Friday," the expert added.

Nifty Bank closed 0.34 per cent, or 157.75 points, stronger at 46,120.9. Meanwhile, small- and mid-cap indices settled with gains of 0.64 and 0.51, respectively, recovering from sharp declines from the previous session. Is it a blip or will the decline continue? Read more

Investors gained Rs 1.98 lakh crore in wealth as the market capitalisation of BSE-listed companies increased to Rs 387.95 crore at the end of trade on Thursday from 385.97 crore the previous day, according to provisional exchange data.

Investors gained Rs 1.98 lakh crore in wealth as the market capitalisation of BSE-listed companies increased to Rs 387.95 crore at the end of trade on Thursday from 385.97 crore the previous day, according to provisional exchange data.

Global Market

European shares opened slightly higher on Thursday, led by gains in material stocks, while investors brace for key US inflation data to gauge the outlook on global interest rate cuts. The pan-European STOXX 600 was up 0.2 per cent by 0820 GMT, while Germany's benchmark DAX index notched another record high, rising 0.2 per cent.

Investor focus will be on the US Federal Reserve's preferred measure of consumer prices, the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) data for January, along with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) reading from Germany, ahead of euro zone inflation data due on Friday.

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