FX.co ★ Sensex Finishes Higher

India’s BSE Sensex closed about 0.6% higher at 76,923 on Wednesday, ending a two-session losing streak, with auto stocks leading the advance. Investors monitored developments in the Middle East and domestic economic data while awaiting remarks from the US Federal Reserve Chair later in the day. Final figures confirmed that India’s manufacturing sector continued to expand in June, although the pace of growth eased to its second-weakest level since mid-2022.

Among individual movers, Maruti and Mahindra & Mahindra were standout performers, gaining 2.1% and 1.9%, respectively, after reporting strong sales figures. Financials and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) shares also posted solid gains, offsetting softness in technology and metal counters. Eternal, Asian Paints, Hindustan Unilever, Adani Ports, and State Bank of India advanced between 2% and 5.7%.

On the downside, technology and metal names weighed on the index, with HCL Tech (-3.5%), Tech Mahindra (-3.1%), Tata Consultancy Services (-2.6%), Tata Steel (-1.6%), and Infosys (-1.5%) among the session’s biggest decliners.