Mumbai: India's domestic benchmark indices closed higher on Wednesday amid muted global cues as buying was seen in auto, IT, PSU bank, financial service, pharma, FMCG, media, energy, and private bank sectors on the NSE. 

Sensex ended at 78,507.41, up by 368.40 points, or 0.47 per cent, and Nifty settled at 23,742.90, up by 98.10 points or 0.41 per cent.

Nifty Bank ended at 51,060.60, up by 200.40 points, or 0.39 per cent. The Nifty Midcap 100 index closed at 57,450.90 after rising 251.45 points, or 0.44 per cent, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 index closed at 18,959.80 after rising 190.60 points, or 1.02 per cent.

On the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), 2,743 shares ended in green and 1,240 shares in red, whereas there was no change in 88 shares.

According to market experts, the market started on a positive note on the first day of 2025. The recovery was broad-based, while the sustainability of the trend will depend on the earnings growth in Q3, where the expectation is positive on a QoQ basis, they said.

An uptick in core sector data and the prospect of a ramp-up in capex spending by the government in the remaining part of the fiscal, aided by sectors like capital goods, industrials, auto, and power, they added.

On the sectoral front, metal, realty, and commodities were major losers.

In the Sensex pack, Maruti, M&M, L&T, Bajaj Finance, Tata Motors, Asian Paints, IndusInd Bank, Power Grid, and HDFC Bank were the top gainers.  Tata Steel, Zomato, HCL Tech, and SBI were the top losers.

Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) sold equities worth Rs 4,645.22 crore on December 31, while domestic institutional investors bought equities worth Rs 4,546.73 crore on the same day. (IANS)