BSE Sensex hits record high on strong FII inflows
Indian equity markets staged a strong rally on Friday with the BSE Sensex surging 1,247 points to close at 74,892 and the Nifty50 gaining 375 points to end at 22,643 — both hitting fresh all-time highs — as foreign institutional investors poured in over ₹8,500 crore in a single session.
The rally was broad-based with all 30 Sensex constituents closing in the green. Banking stocks led the charge, with HDFC Bank rising 3.2%, ICICI Bank gaining 2.8%, and State Bank of India up 4.1% on the back of strong quarterly earnings.
FII net purchases at ₹8,547 crore marked the highest single-day inflow in over six months, reversing a recent trend of net selling that had been triggered by global uncertainty and the strength of the US dollar.
"The combination of strong domestic macro data, stellar corporate earnings, and a softening dollar is creating a perfect storm for India equities," said Nilesh Shah, Managing Director of Kotak Mahindra Asset Management.
The midcap and smallcap indices outperformed, rising 1.9% and 2.4% respectively, as retail investors poured in through SIPs — which have now hit a record ₹21,000 crore per month.
Options data suggests the market could sustain current levels with strong support at Nifty 22,000. Analysts remain bullish citing India's earnings growth trajectory and political stability.