Mumbai, June 18 (IANS) Indian equity benchmark indices closed higher on Thursday, supported by fag-end buying and gains in PSU bank, healthcare, metal and realty stocks, even as weakness in the IT sector capped the upside.

The Sensex rose 254.36 points, or 0.33 per cent, to settle at 77,409.98, while the Nifty gained 82.30 points, or 0.34 per cent, to close at 24,168.00.

Market sentiment improved in the latter half of the trading session, helping benchmark indices recover and end in positive territory.

Buying interest in public sector banks, healthcare and real estate counters provided support to the broader market.

Among the Nifty constituents, Adani Enterprises, InterGlobe Aviation and Max Healthcare Institute emerged as the top gainers of the day.

Among Sensex constituents, shares of Adani Ports, InterGlobe Aviation, Trent, NTPC, Bharat Electronics Limited, HDFC Bank and State Bank of India were among the major gainers, helping benchmark indices end the day in the green.

The broader market also witnessed positive momentum. The Nifty MidCap index ended 0.41 per cent higher, while the Nifty SmallCap index advanced 0.44 per cent.

Sectorally, the Nifty PSU Bank, Nifty Healthcare, Nifty Realty and Nifty Consumer Durables indices outperformed the broader market. The healthcare pack led the gains, with the Nifty Healthcare index climbing 0.98 per cent.

On the other hand, information technology stocks remained under pressure. The Nifty IT index declined 1.19 per cent, making it the worst-performing sectoral index of the session.

“Going forward, market participants will continue to monitor developments in the US-Iran talks, crude oil prices, and foreign fund flows,” an analyst stated.

Meanwhile, Rupee traded stronger by around 16 paise to 94.32, extending its positive trend for the fifth consecutive session.

“Technically, the rupee remains well supported, with the near-term trading range seen between 94.00 and 94.75,” the analyst mentioned.

–IANS

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