Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], November 11 (ANI): The Indian stock markets opened sharply higher on Wednesday, with benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty registering strong gains, supported by continued buying by foreign investors, moderating crude oil prices, and better-than-expected second-quarter earnings.

The positive momentum in the domestic markets reflects improving investor sentiment, with foreign institutional investors (FIIs) returning to Indian equities and strong corporate earnings providing further support to the ongoing rally.

The NIFTY 50 index opened at 25,337.80 with a gain of 293.15 points or 1.17 per cent, while the BSE SENSEX opened at 82,250.52, gaining 1,143.87 points or 1.41 per cent.

V K Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments, said, 'Nifty 50 has surged by 8.6% in just six trading days of this month. This surge was triggered mainly by the aggressive FII buying of Rs 53170 crores so far this month. The dramatic change in the market environment was triggered by positive global cues for India from the weakening of the AI trade. But it is important to note that the real fundamental support to the rally has come from the better-than-expected Q2 results. The near 24% earnings growth in Nifty 50 in Q2 is a 12-quarter high and has compressed the forward PE for Nifty 50 to fair levels.'

He further added, 'Given the new favourable environment for the Indian market, FIIs are likely to continue buying, imparting resilience to the frontline stocks in banking/financials, telecom, capital goods, select auto and pharmaceutical majors. This rally, which has more steam left, will be led again by large-caps'.

The broader market also witnessed buying activity, with major indices trading in positive territory. The Nifty Midcap 100 jumped 0.64 per cent, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 gained 0.72 per cent. The Nifty 100 also advanced 1.12 per cent, indicating that the positive sentiment was not limited to frontline stocks.

Sectoral indices on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) also opened higher, with buying seen across several sectors.

The Nifty Auto index gained 1.15 per cent, while the Nifty FMCG surged 0.91 per cent. The Nifty IT index advanced 0.84 per cent, and the Nifty Metal index jumped 0.34 per cent.

The Nifty Pharma index gained 1 per cent, while the Nifty PSU Bank index was up 1.18 per cent. The Nifty Private Bank index also witnessed strong buying, gaining 1.39 per cent.

Ponmudi R, CEO of Enrich Money, said, 'Indian equities appear well positioned to extend their recent advance, with a sustained moderation in crude oil prices and a revival in foreign portfolio inflows providing a more supportive backdrop for domestic markets. This renewed foreign investor participation has helped reinforce the recent market recovery, improving risk appetite and lending greater confidence to the domestic investment outlook'.

In the commodities market, Brent crude oil prices were trading at USD 92.41 per barrel, with a surge of 1 per cent. Moderating crude prices have been among the factors supporting sentiment in the domestic equity market.

Meanwhile, Asian markets also largely traded in positive territory, reflecting the broader improvement in investor sentiment across the region.

Japan's Nikkei 225 index jumped 1.32 per cent to 61,258, while Singapore's Straits Times index was up 0.38 per cent. Taiwan's Weighted Index gained 1.90 per cent to 43,514, and South Korea's KOSPI index advanced 1.70 per cent to 5,327. However, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index traded against the broader regional trend, declining 1 per cent to 24,312. (ANI)