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Stock Market Closing Bell: The domestic stock market staged a strong rally during Muhurat trading with key indices scaling their highest closing levels since September 27, 2024, reflecting optimism among investors on the auspicious day of Diwali, October 20, 2025.

Both benchmark indices, BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty, closed in the positive zone as buying interest surged in blue-chip stocks, backed by strong investor sentiment and foreign fund inflows.

The BSE Sensex closed at 84,363.37 points, up 411.18 points (0.49 per cent), while the Nifty 50 settled at 25,843.15, gaining 133.30 points (0.52 per cent).

During the session, Sensex even touched gains of over 700 points, and Nifty came close to the 26,000 mark, showcasing the festive cheer in the markets.

Reliance Industries led the rally among Sensex stocks, rising 3.59 per cent to 1,467.75, followed by Bajaj Finserv, which climbed 2.65 per cent to 2,138.00. Axis Bank and State Bank of India also performed strongly, gaining 1.99 per cent and 1.85 per cent, respectively.

TCS, Bharti Airtel, Titan, and Infosys contributed to the positive momentum with gains ranging from 1.51 per cent to 1.77 per cent.

Among other notable performers, AU Small Finance Bank showed strong growth, reflecting healthy loan growth and improving credit cost.

HDFC Bank and Kotak Bank remained steady with modest gains, while ICICI Bank was a laggard, falling 3.01 per cent, highlighting selective profit-booking by investors.

Sectoral indices painted a mixed but generally positive picture. The Nifty IT index led sectoral gains, up 0.98 per cent, followed by Nifty Pharma (+0.84 per cent) and Nifty Media (+0.87 per cent).

Nifty PSU Bank jumped 2.87 per cent, indicating strong buying in public sector banks. The Nifty Bank index rose 0.55 per cent, supporting the broader market rally.

Midcap and smallcap indices also saw solid gains during the session. The Nifty Midcap 50 gained 0.86 per cent, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 rose 0.69 per cent, signalling broad-based participation from investors during the festive trading session.

The strong performance in the run-up to Muhurat trading on Tuesday reflects the positive sentiment surrounding the Indian markets this festive season.

Investors showed confidence in fundamentally strong companies, particularly in banking, IT, and financial services.

Foreign fund inflows and a global market rally during the initial trade added to the momentum.

Despite hitting intra-day highs, markets closed slightly below peak levels, as some investors booked profits after the sharp rally.

However, the overall trend remained upbeat, with the festive spirit of Diwali translating into bullish market sentiment.

Anubhav Maurya is a Senior Sub-Editor at Zee Business, focusing on the stock market, personal finance, corporate news, and related sectors.

He has previously worked wi