Sensex was up 241.86 points or 0.34 percent at 71,106.96, and the Nifty was up 94.40 points or 0.44 percent at 21,349.40. About 2144 shares advanced, 1074 shares declined, and 88 shares unchanged.
The top Nifty gainers included Wipro, HCL Technologies, Tata Motors, Hero MotoCorp and Hindalco Industries, while losers were Grasim Industries, SBI Life Insurance, Bajaj Finance, HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank.
Except banks, all other sectoral indices ended in the green with auto, capital goods, healthcare, oil & gas up 1 percent each, while Information Technology, metal and realty up 2 percent each,
BSE midcap index rose 0.7 percent and smallcap index rose 1 percent.
Indian benchmark indices ended higher for the second straight session on December 22 with Nifty above 21,300.
Indian Rupee appreciated on Friday on positive domestic markets and a weak US Dollar. However, surge in crude oil prices and FII outflows capped sharp gains. US Dollar declined on Friday as US GDP was revised lower to 4.9% in Q3 2023 versus previous forecast. However, weekly unemployment claims topped forecast, preventing a sharp fall.
We expect Rupee to trade with a slight positive bias on rise in risk appetite in global markets and softness in US Dollar. However, Dollar demand from imports and selling pressure from foreign investors may cap the upside. Geopolitical tensions in the Red Sea may also weigh on Rupee at higher levels. Traders may take cues from inflation, pending home sales and durable goods orders from US. USDINR spot price is expected to trade in a range of Rs 82.80 to Rs 83.50.
