[Indian Stock Market] Mumbai, January 29th Electric – Indian stocks closed higher on Thursday, led by gains in metal, power and oil & gas sectors, with key indexes posting modest gains and several blue-chip stocks hitting all-time highs. The positive performance came amid improved market sentiment and strong buying interest in select sectors, despite broader global market caution.

As of the close, the S&P CNX NIFTY Index rose 0.30%, while the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) Sensex gained 0.27%, extending the mild upward trend seen in recent sessions. The market breadth, however, leaned negative: 1,542 stocks declined on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) compared to 960 advancers, with 48 stocks remaining unchanged. On the BSE, 2,440 stocks closed lower, 1,583 rose, and 137 were flat, indicating a selective buying pattern among investors.

Among the top performers, Tata Steel (NSE:TISC) surged 4.47% (8.66 points) to close at 202.51, hitting a historic high, while its counterpart on the BSE (BO:TISC) rose 4.57% to 202.65. Larsen & Toubro Ltd (NSE:LART) advanced 3.80% (144.00 points) to 3,938.00, and Axis Bank Ltd (NSE:AXBK) climbed 3.50% (46.20 points) to 1,366.00, also notching a record high. Axis Bank’s BSE listing (BO:AXBK) gained 3.45% to the same closing price of 1,366.00.

Conversely, Asian Paints (NSE:ASPN) was the worst performer on the NIFTY, falling 3.79% (95.30 points) to 2,416.50, while its BSE listing (BO:ASPN) declined 3.71% to 2,417.75. SBI Life Insurance Company Ltd (NSE:SBIL) dropped 2.74% (56.30 points) to 1,996.90, and Maruti Suzuki India (NSE:MRTI) fell 2.64% (393.00 points) to 14,484.00. The India VIX, which measures implied volatility of NIFTY options, fell 1.50% to 13.32, signaling reduced market uncertainty.