Mumbai: The Nifty 50 touched a fresh high of 26,285.95 on Thursday, gaining 80.65 points or 0.31 per cent, marking its first new peak in 14 months as optimism returned to the markets.

The BSE Sensex also opened strongly, rising to 85,843.82 points in early trade, closely approaching its September 2024 high of 85,978.25.

The domestic benchmarks continued the momentum from Wednesday’s rally. Nifty opened at 26,261.25, up 55.95 points or 0.21 per cent, while the Sensex began at 85,741.13, climbing 131.62 points or 0.15 per cent.

With the positive opening, Nifty surpassed its previous record of 26,277.37 set in September 2024, reflecting renewed bullish sentiment among investors. Market participants remained upbeat as trading indicated confidence in sustained upward momentum.

Global cues also remained supportive. US markets continued their uptrend as expectations of Federal Reserve rate cuts overshadowed the sell-off in AI stocks. Asian markets opened higher, tracking overnight gains in the US, with tech stocks witnessing renewed buying.

Japan's Nikkei 225 index rose more than 1 per cent, Taiwan's Weighted Index surged 0.52 per cent, Singapore's Straits Times gained 0.25 per cent, and South Korea's KOSPI advanced 0.62 per cent -- all reflecting broad positive sentiment across the region.