Post-Market Report: Sensex Surges 905 Points, Nifty Tops 22,900 on Fed Pause and Broad-Based Buying

Market Performance Today

Indian equity markets staged a powerful comeback on Thursday, October 29, 2026, erasing the previous session's losses with aggressive buying across key sectors. The BSE Sensex settled 905.01 points, or 1.24%, higher at 74,151.04. Simultaneously, the NSE Nifty 50 advanced 237.90 points, or 1.05%, to finish the session at 22,936.75.

After opening on a flat-to-mildly positive note, benchmark indices gathered steady upward momentum throughout the trading session. A decisive breakout past the crucial 22,800 resistance zone triggered short covering and sustained afternoon buying, steering the Nifty close to the 22,950 mark before settlement.

Top Movers (Sectors and Stocks)

Nearly all sectoral indices finished in positive territory, with consumer goods, real estate, and financial counters leading the charge.

Sectoral highlights:

• Nifty FMCG: Gained between 2.3% and 2.5%, emerging as one of the primary drivers of the day on resilient consumer demand.
• Nifty Realty: Advanced 2.75%, recording the steepest sectoral gain of the session.
• Banking & Financials: Provided heavy index support, with Nifty Private Bank jumping 1.98% and Nifty PSU Bank climbing 1.9%, lifting the Bank Nifty toward the 54,900 zone.
• Nifty IT: Rose approximately 1.0%, tracking positive overnight cues from US technology stocks.
• Nifty Auto: Ended as the sole major laggard, declining around 0.35% to 1.0% under pressure from margin concerns and elevated operating costs.

Top individual stock gainers on the Nifty 50:

• Adani Ports & SEZ: Rose roughly 6.0%, leading benchmark gains following upbeat quarterly operational commentary.
• Adani Enterprises: Rallied approximately 5.8%.
• Kotak Mahindra Bank: Gained 4.36% on solid institutional accumulation.
• Power Grid Corporation: Advanced 4.0% amid strong demand for utility stocks.
• Eternal: Surged nearly 3.9%.

Top individual stock laggards:

• Trent: Dropped 1.65% ahead of and following quarterly earnings scrutiny.
• Maruti Suzuki: Slipped 1.15% amid auto sector profit-taking.
• Bajaj Auto: Retreated 1.16%.
• SBI Life Insurance & Asian Paints: Each declined over 1%.

Key Drivers of Today's Market

The day's rally was anchored by several domestic and international macro catalysts:

• US Fed Rate Pause: The US Federal Reserve held its benchmark interest rate unchanged in the 3.75%–4.00% range. The decision brought relief to emerging markets, curbing immediate fears of aggressive global monetary tightening.
• Cooling Crude Oil Prices: Brent crude futures softened by around 1.0% to 1.4%, easing down to approximately $114 per barrel. While prices remained relatively elevated, the slight retreat provided breathing room for India's import and inflation outlook.
• Institutional Buying Support: Sustained buying by Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) and renewed net inflows from Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) injected vital liquidity into large-cap counters.
• Technical Short Covering: Once the Nifty crossed and held above the 22,800 mark, technical short covering accelerated momentum into the closing bell.

Broader Market Performance

Market breadth tilted convincingly in favour of the bulls. Broader market indices tracked the headline benchmarks higher:

• The Nifty Midcap index rose approximately 0.99%.
• The Nifty Smallcap index advanced around 0.95%.
• India VIX tumbled over 4%, indicating a sharp easing in near-term volatility and improving risk appetite among domestic participants.