Final Trade: Sensex ends higher, Nifty holds firm; all sectors advance, Hero Motocorp leads gains

Stock markets ended the day holding onto gains, buoyed by largely positive global cues and easing retail inflation data at home for June 2025.

At the close, the BSE Sensex rose 198.94 points, or 0.24 per cent, to finish at 82,452.4. The Nifty50 also advanced, gaining 77.7 points, or 0.31 per cent, to settle around 25,160 levels.

Leading the charge were blue-chip stocks such as Sun Pharma, Mahindra & Mahindra, Infosys, Tata Motors, SBI, Bajaj Finserv, Kotak Mahindra Bank, TCS, and Trent, each climbing as much as 2.5 per cent.

On the downside, HCL Technologies, Eternal (Zomato), Tata Steel, Axis Bank, and UltraTech Cement saw declines, falling up to 4 per cent.

Broader markets mirrored the upbeat sentiment, with the Nifty MidCap index rising 0.72% and the Nifty SmallCap index gaining approximately 0.82 per cent.

Sector-wise, Nifty PSU Bank, Auto, and Realty segments outperformed, each advancing over 1%, while the Nifty Metal sector lagged slightly, gaining just 0.19 per cent.

Overall, sustained investor confidence and easing inflationary pressures helped markets close on a positive note amid mixed sectoral performances.