Overview
- Benchmarks finished modestly higher Monday, with the Sensex up 355.90 points at 77,269.40 and the Nifty up 121.75 at 24,119.30 after an early surge.
- Stocks jumped 600–900 points in early trade as counting in five state elections buoyed sentiment and Brent cooled near $108 after President Donald Trump said the US would help guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
- Gains thinned by midday as traders booked profits, crude ticked back above $109 following fresh Iranian warnings over the waterway, and the rupee weakened to about 94.95 per dollar.
- Strategists flagged durability risks, citing elevated oil, heavy foreign selling in the previous session at Rs 8,047.86 crore, and a near-term test from earnings and macro data.
- Auto shares led on strong April prints, with Maruti reporting record sales, while IT lagged, highlighting how high oil and a weaker rupee can squeeze costs in an import‑reliant economy and tilt sector performance.