India Stocks Edge Higher in Morning Trade

On Wednesday morning, the BSE Sensex climbed by 172 points, or 0.2%, reaching 85,697, marking its highest level in over two weeks following a brief decline in the previous session. The uptick was primarily driven by a rally in Wall Street, notably propelled by advances in the technology and energy sectors. Most industry sectors experienced growth, including banking, consumer durables, automotive, metals, and financial services. The Nifty 50 index also rose by 0.2%, with similar gains seen in both mid-cap and small-cap stocks. Investor sentiment was bolstered by encouraging news regarding the US GDP, despite lingering concerns about the Federal Reserve's decision to maintain interest rates in the upcoming January meeting and uncertainties surrounding their monetary policy for 2026. Traders capitalized on the abbreviated trading week in light of the approaching Christmas holiday, with markets set to remain open on Friday. Among the top performers in early trading were Bajaj Finance, rising by 2.4%, Axis Bank at 0.8%, NTPC up 0.6%, and both Asian Paints and Bajaj Finserv appreciating by 0.4%.