18.03.202612:10:08UTC+00Sensex Rises to 1-Week High

India's BSE Sensex ended Wednesday about 0.8% higher at 76,704, its strongest close in a week and the third straight session of gains. The rebound came on the back of easing crude oil prices and bargain hunting after last week's sell-off, even as geopolitical uncertainty from the ongoing Middle East conflict and continued foreign fund outflows weighed on sentiment.

Gains were broad-based across most sectors. Information technology shares attracted fresh buying after CLSA reaffirmed its positive stance on the sector and played down near-term earnings risks posed by the latest AI tools from Anthropic and OpenAI. Tech Mahindra climbed 3.3%, Infosys and HCLTech each advanced 2.8%, and TCS added 2.1%.

Other notable winners included Eternal, up 3.4%, Adani Ports, which gained 2.8%, Axis Bank, up 1.9%, and L&T, which rose 1.8%. On the downside, NTPC fell 1.3%, Hindustan Unilever slipped 1%, and Sun Pharma declined 0.9%, emerging as the session's major laggards.