Mumbai, May 5 (IANS) The Indian equity markets opened the week with strong gains on Monday, supported by a rally in Adani Group stocks and strength in select auto and banking shares. Sensex started the day around 160 points higher at 80,662 and climbed to an intra-day high of 81,049. Although it gave up some of the gains later in the session, the index still ended 295 points up at 80,797. The Nifty touched a high of 24,526 during the day and eventually closed with a gain of 114 points, or 0.5 per cent, at 24,461. “Markets started the week on a firm footing, lifted by steady foreign inflows and optimism around an impending India-US trade deal,” said Vikram Kasat of PL Capital.

Strength in Asian currencies and easing global trade tensions added to the positive sentiment, even as activity remained muted in some global markets due to holidays, Kasat added. The Adani Group was at the centre of investor attention, with shares jumping up to 11 per cent following reports of the company’s top executives holding discussions with officials from the US President Donald Trump administration to settle an ongoing US bribery case. Adani Ports was the top performer among Sensex stocks, soaring 6.3 per cent. Other gainers included Mahindra and Mahindra, ITC, Power Grid Corporation and Tata Motors.

On the other hand, Kotak Mahindra Bank fell 4.5 per cent, making it the biggest loser on the Sensex. SBI and Axis Bank also ended the day in the red. The broader market outperformed the benchmark indices. The BSE MidCap index jumped 1.5 per cent, while the SmallCap index advanced by 1.2 per cent. Among sectors, oil and gas stocks saw notable buying, with the BSE Oil and Gas index rising 2 per cent, driven by strength in oil marketing companies. Consumer durables, energy, and FMCG sectors also posted gains of over 1 per cent each.

However, the BSE Bankex ended lower, down nearly 1 per cent due to pressure on select banking names. “The upbeat start to the week reflects investor optimism, driven by corporate developments and select sectoral momentum,” market experts noted. The rupee traded positive, gaining 13 paise to settle at 84.32 as sustained FII inflows continue to support the domestic currency. “Going ahead, the rupee is expected to trade in a range of 84.00 to 84.75, with continued global risk sentiment and commodity movements guiding intraday volatility," Jateen Trivedi of LKP Securities noted. Gold prices surged sharply as expectations of an interest rate cut by the US Federal Reserve this week fuelled strong buying.

/IANS