Nifty above 23,100, Sensex up 326 pts amid profit booking

The Indian share market traded on a positive note on Friday supported by broad-based buying across sectors.At close, the Sensex was up 325.72 points or 0.44 percent at 74,532.96, and the Nifty was up 112.35 points or 0.49 percent at 23,114.50. 
JSW Steel, Tech Mahindra, Coal India, Tata Steel, Infosys were the top gainers on the Nifty, while losers included Hindalco Industries, HDFC Bank, HDFC Life, Shriram Finance, ONGC.On the sectoral front,except media, private bank, realty, all other sectoral indices ended in the green with telecom, IT, metal, pharma, PSU Bank up 1-2%.Nifty midcap index rose 0.6%, while smallcap index ended flat.
Rupee Close:
On 20 Mar'26,the Indian rupee crashed 82 paise, or nearly 1%, to settle at an all-time low of 93.71  against the U.S. dollar on Friday , weighed down by persistent foreign fund outflows and a steep rise in crude oil prices amid mounting geopolitical tensions.Forex traders said the Indian rupee is under tremendous pressure as surging crude oil prices and a shift toward risk-aversion dented investor sentiments.Moreover, heightened geopolitical uncertainty risks are driving energy costs higher, which could widen the trade deficit and stoke inflationary pressures, they added.
Trading Guide:
Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments stated  positive comments aimed at de-escalating the conflict and avoiding attacks on oil and gas infrastructure led to a moderate rebound during the day. However, investor sentiment remains fragile, with gains tapering off as participants remain reluctant to hold positions over the weekend amid war-related uncertainties. Defensive buying continued in healthcare, supported by INR depreciation and a stable outlook.The IT sector also found support from deep long-term value and the absence of any visible negative impact from AI. While the consensus remains cautiously optimistic, expectations are that conflict-related risks may ease over the next couple of weeks, allowing market volatility to subside. Buying opportunities are emerging after the massive sell-off this month, though the loss of Qatar’s gas capacity is expected to have an impact on the Indian LNG sector.
Market experts recommended five shares to buy on Friday-Torrent Power, Bharat Heavy Electricals, Linde India, Fertilisers And Chemicals Travancore, and Coal India.

(Business Correspondent)