New Delhi, September 4 (H.S.) : Indian equity markets began Thursday’s session on a strong note, buoyed by optimism around reforms in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) framework. The government’s decision to reduce GST slabs and cut rates on several items lifted market sentiment, driving early gains in benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty.

Trading opened with sharp upward momentum, though initial profit-booking briefly weighed on the indices. Buyers, however, quickly regained control, helping the market recover and sustain gains. After the first hour of trade (around 10:15 a.m.), the Sensex was up 390.02 points, or 0.48%, at 80,957.73, while the Nifty advanced 120.70 points, or 0.49%, to 24,835.75.

Among heavyweight stocks, Bajaj Finance, Grasim Industries, Bajaj Finserv, Hindustan Unilever, and Tata Motors gained between 1.55% and 3.88%. On the other hand, Tata Consumer Products, ONGC, Coal India, Tata Steel, and Reliance Industries traded weaker, losing between 0.34% and 0.94%.

Market breadth favored the bulls, with 1,805 stocks advancing against 721 declining out of 2,526 actively traded shares. Within the Sensex pack of 30, 20 stocks were in the green while 10 declined. Similarly, among Nifty’s 50 constituents, 36 were trading higher and 14 lower.

The BSE Sensex opened the day with a sharp gain of 888.96 points at 81,456.67, before retreating slightly on profit-taking. The NSE Nifty mirrored the trend, jumping 265.70 points at the open to 24,980.75, only to pare some gains within minutes before stabilizing.

On Wednesday, the previous trading session, the Sensex had closed 409.83 points (0.51%) higher at 80,567.71, while the Nifty ended 135.45 points (0.55%) stronger at 24,715.05.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar