Sensex opens higher on Tuesday; Maruti, Infosys, HDFC Bank lead gains

Mumbai: Indian benchmark indices opened higher on Tuesday, supported by positive global cues and early buying in the auto, IT, and financial services sectors.

As of 9.22 am, the Sensex was up 122.13 points, or 0.15 per cent, at 82,282.10, while the Nifty gained 35.85 points, or 0.14 per cent, to 25,238.20. The Nifty Bank index fell 26.30 points, or 0.05 per cent, to 55,258.45. The Nifty Midcap 100 was at 58,686.55, down 12.95 points, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 rose 4.25 points to 18,293.15.

Experts said the near-term trend for the Nifty will depend on whether support holds in the 25,200–25,000 range. Early gains could continue if the index remains above 25,238, but a sustained rally would require a rise above 25,278–25,335.

Among Sensex stocks, Maruti Suzuki, M&M, Tata Motors, Infosys, HDFC Bank, Tech Mahindra, and Axis Bank led the gains, while Ultratech Cement, Sun Pharma, Trent, and Asian Paints were the top losers.

Asian markets were mixed, with Jakarta, Bangkok, Tokyo, and Seoul trading in green, while Hong Kong and mainland China were in red.

On Wall Street, the Dow Jones closed at 46,381.54, up 66.27 points, or 0.14 per cent. The S&P 500 rose 29.39 points, or 0.44 per cent, to 6,693.75, while the Nasdaq gained 157.50 points, or 0.70 per cent, to 22,788.98.

Analysts noted that foreign institutional investors (FIIs) have been a major drag on the market since the September 2024 peak, driven by high domestic valuations and more attractive opportunities abroad. FIIs sold equities worth ₹121,210 crore in 2024 and ₹179,200 crore so far this year. On Monday, FIIs were net sellers of ₹2,910.09 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) bought ₹2,582.63 crore of equities.

IANS