Stock Markets Recover Early Lost Ground; Trade Higher

• Sensex fell early but later rose 108.95 points to 77,264.57; Nifty gained 44.25 points to 24,132.60.

• Brent crude eased 1.66% to ₹78.23 a barrel, supporting market sentiment.

• Infosys, TCS, Tech Mahindra and HCL Tech were among the laggards, while Trent, BEL, HDFC Bank and L&T gained.

Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty drifted lower in early deals on Thursday, but later bounced back to trade higher supported by encouraging developments on the geopolitical front and easing crude oil prices.

The 30-share BSE Sensex declined 111.23 points to 77,044.39 in early trade. The 50-share NSE Nifty dipped 26.85 points to 24,058.85.

However, later both the benchmark indices recovered their early lost ground and were quoting in the green.

The BSE benchmark traded 108.95 points up at 77,264.57, and the Nifty quoted 44.25 points higher at 24,132.60.

From the 30-Sensex firms, Infosys, Tech Mahindra, HCL Tech, Tata Consultancy Services, Reliance Industries and Kotak Mahindra Bank were among the biggest laggards.

Trent, Bharat Electronics, HDFC Bank and Larsen & Toubro were among the winners.

In the previous four trading days, the BSE benchmark jumped 3,323.07 points, or 4.50%, and the Nifty surged 924.1 points, or 3.98 per cent.

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, traded 1.66% lower at $78.23 per barrel.

US President Donald Trump signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Iran during a dinner at the Palace of Versailles in France on Wednesday to end the over three-month war.

"Investor sentiment has strengthened after the White House confirmed that US President Donald Trump has formally signed the Peace Deal Memorandum, a significant step forward in the broader US–Iran peace process. The agreement is expected to facilitate the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, easing geopolitical risks, reducing energy-market uncertainty and improving global risk appetite," Ponmudi R, CEO of Enrich Money, an online trading and wealth-tech firm, said.

In Asian markets, South Korea's Kospi Japan's Nikkei 225 index quoted higher, while Shanghai's SSE Composite index and Hong Kong's Hang Seng index traded lower.

US markets ended in negative territory on Wednesday.

"The hawkish message sent by the new chief of the Fed, Kevin Warsh, was a bit unexpected since Warsh has been in favour of rate cuts and that was what President Trump wanted. But the persistently high inflation in the US left the FOMC with no choice but to send a hawkish message.

"The dot plot indicates a rate hike, possibly in October. The US 10-year bond yield rose to 4.46% leading to a sell-off in the US markets towards the close," VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Limited, said.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) bought equities worth ₹101.59 crore on Wednesday, according to exchange data.

On Wednesday, the Sensex climbed 347.14 points, or 0.45%, to settle at 77,155.62. The Nifty rallied 96.55 points, or 0.40%, to end at 24,085.70.