Barometers trade sideways; auto shares rally for 2nd day

The Feds indication of another rate hike in 2026 is likely to keep investors cautious, particularly in rate-sensitive and foreign-portfolio-investment-driven segments. However, buying interest in select domestic sectors provided some support. The Nifty traded near 23,290 mark. Market participants are likely to track currency movements, US bond yields and foreign fund flows for further direction.

Auto shares witnessed buying demand for second consecutive trading session.

At 11:25 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex shed 14.73 points or 0.02% to 74,317.63. The Nifty 50 index added 24.20 points or 0.10% to 23,241.80.

The broader market outperformed the frontline indices. The BSE 150 MidCap Index rose 0.51% and the BSE 250 SmallCap Index jumped 0.65%.

The market breadth was strong. On the BSE, 2,423 shares rose and 1,505 shares fell. A total of 238 shares were unchanged.