Sensex rises over 50 pts, Nifty above 24,600; IT, pharma stocks rise

Indian benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty opened slightly higher on Thursday, mirroring gains across Asian markets, though investor caution ahead of Russia-U.S. talks on the Ukraine war kept sentiment in check in a holiday-shortened week.

The benchmark BSE Sensex edged up 91.09 points, or 0.11%, to 80,631 at the open, while the broader NSE Nifty 50 advanced 30.40 points, or 0.12%, to open at 24,649.75.

On the 30-stock Sensex, Infosys, Titan, Sun Pharmaceutical, Bajaj Finserv, Maruti Suzuki and Trent led early gains, rising between 0.2% and 1.4%.

Sectorally, IT and pharmaceutical shares outperformed, advacing 0.7% and 0.9%, respectively, in early trade.

Broader markets also firmed, with midcap stocks up 0.2% and small caps climbing 0.4%.

Jubilant FoodWorks, the operator of Domino’s Pizza in India, jumped nearly 5% after posting a sharply better-than-expected first-quarter profit, as demand was buoyed by lower-priced menu options and free delivery offers.