Experts ask investors to build SIP portfolios around simplicity, domestic resilience, and sectoral strength. Read full report here

Sensex closes at 73,319.55, up 185.23 points, or 0.25 per cent. Nifty ends at 22,713.10, up 33.70 points, or 0.15 per cent.

Technical oversold rebound: Sharp morning drop (Nifty hit 22,182 low) triggered bargain hunting and short-covering at key intraday support levels.

IT sector strength: Tech stocks gained and provided defensive support, helping indices recover.

DII buying support: Domestic institutional investors absorbed selling pressure (continuing their recent net buying trend).

Low-volume midday lull: Thin trading during lunch exaggerated the dip; post-lunch institutional and algo re-entry boosted activity.

Relief after initial panic: Trump's Iran comments and crude spike caused early sell-off; no fresh negative triggers emerged, leading to stabilization and partial recovery (Sensex pared 1,500+ points from lows).

As crude prices increase further, growth is projected to slow progressively. At $110 per barrel, growth could decline to 6.1 per cent, while at $120 per barrel, it could fall below 6.0 per cent

As of 3:00 PM, the Nifty50 was trading 0.08 per cent or 19.5 points down at 22,660.05, and the Sensex was trading 0.04 per cent or 31.64 points down at 73,102.71.

Rajendra Singh Pawar has acquired 8,39,328 equity shares, representing 7.41 per cent of the total voting capital and 4.07 per cent of the diluted capital of Thrive Future Habitats Limited. The acquisition was executed through a preferential allotment on March 31, 2026. Post-acquisition, the total equity share capital of Thrive Future Habitats stands at Rs. 11.32 crore, divided into 1,13,19,581 shares of Rs. 10 each, with a diluted share capital of Rs. 20.63 crore. Thrive Future Habitats Limited, formerly known as Ador Multiproducts Limited, is listed on the BSE under scrip code 523120. This transaction highlights Pawar's strategic investment in the company, which could influence its future direction.

The Iranian military on Thursday issued a strongly worded response to the remarks made by US President Donald Trump during his address to the nation, warning that the ongoing conflict will persist until Washington faces what it described as "permanent humiliation, regret, and surrender", as reported by Iranian state media Press TV. 

India's banking sector delivered a steady 4QFY26 performance despite macro uncertainty. Systemic credit growth remained strong at 13.8 per cent, outpacing deposit growth of 10.8 per cent, pushing the CD ratio to 83%. Margin trends were mixed-large private banks like ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank saw stable NIMs, while Axis Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank faced pressure. Mid-sized banks outperformed with margin expansion. Overall, NII is expected to grow 7.4 per cent YoY, while PAT may rise ~7 per cent YoY, with earnings CAGR projected at 16 per cent over FY26-28.

In his latest address, Trump passed the buck on the opening of the strait, critical to global oil supply, to oil-dependent nations. Read full report here

Indian gold dealers report the first premiums in two months as demand rises amid fluctuating prices.

As of 2:00 PM, the Nifty50 was trading 0.70 per cent or 158.70 points down at 22,520.70, and the Sensex was trading 0.69 per cent or 501.46 points down at 72,633.17.

Shares of steel and aluminium producing companies were in focus on Thursday amid reports of the US President Donald Trump's administration preparing to introduce a new rule on imports of products made using steel and aluminium products.

At 1:00 pm, the Nifty50 was trading 1.39 per cent or 315.60 points or 1.39 per cent down at 22,363.80, and the Sensex was trading 988.32 points or 1.36 per cent down at 72,143.24.

Shares of Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles (TMPV) slipped over 2 per cent in Thursday's trading, tracking a broader decline in the Nifty Auto index. 

Oil prices surge over 6% while Asian stocks decline following Trump's aggressive stance on Iran in a recent address.

Steel Authority of India informed the resignation of Amarendu Prakash as Chairman & Managing Director of the company w.e.f. April 1, 2026.

India's manufacturing activity slowed in March, with the HSBC India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index falling to 53.9 from 56.9 in February, its lowest level since June 2022, according to data released by S&P Global on Wednesday.

At 12:00 PM, the Nifty50 was trading 1.76 per cent or 399.85 points down at 22,278.10, and the Sensex was trading 1.75 per cent or 1,303.99 points down at 71,855.85.

The rupee jumped 1.3 per cent to around Rs 93.53 per dollar on Thursday -- the most since September 2013. Read full report here

Ola Electric Mobility slashed Roadstar 9.1, its flasgship electric motorcycle's price by Rs 60,000 as 4680 Bharat Cell production scaled, improving the cost efficiency.

At 11:00 AM, the Nifty50 was trading 1.99 per cent or 450.35 points down at 22,229.05, and the Sensex was trading 1.92 per cent or 1,405.53 points down at 71,728.79.

The Indian rupee opened sharply higher on Thursday, April 2, gaining 130 paise against the US dollar. The domestic currency started the session at 93.53/$, compared with Monday's close of 94.83/$.

Investors witnessed a massive erosion in wealth within minutes of Thursday's opening bell. Read full report here

Stock Market LIVE Updates: Nomura believes oil marketing companies (OMCs) are likely to face margin pressure after the government raised prices of aviation turbine fuel (ATF) and commercial liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), even as changes in domestic gas pricing present a mixed outlook for city gas distributors (CGDs). 

The Nifty50 was trading 2.08 per cent or 471.25 points down at 22,208.15, and the Sensex was trading 2.09 per cent or 1,526.77 points down at 71,607.55.

The market-cap of all the BSE-listed companies declined Rs 9.01 trillion to Rs 412.47 trillion, compared to Rs 421.48 trillion.

India has temporarily eliminated basic customs duties on a broad range of petrochemicals, polymers and intermediates between April 2 and June 30, under a government notification aimed at easing import costs amid global supply disruptions. According to a Ministry of Finance notification dated April 1, imports of more than 40 chemical products will attract zero basic customs duty (BCD) for about three months.

The Nifty India Volatility Index jumped 6.36 per cent to 26.60 shortly after opening. The index was up 4.23 per cent at 26.07 as of 9:31 am. 

In the broader markets, the Nifty Midcap 100 fell 2.39 per cent, and the Nifty Smallcap 100 was down 2.58 per cent.

On the sectoral front, Nifty Pharma, PSU Bank, Realty, Healthcare and Chemical fell over 3 per cent each. 

The NSE Nifty50 was trading at 22,250.05 levels, down by 429.35 points or 1.89 per cent. The BSE Sensex opened around 71,718.18 levels, down by 1,416.14 points or 1.94 per cent.

Rupee rebounds 105 paise from its all-time low to 93.65 against US dollar in early trade.

The price of silver fell in the international market after Trump's speech. Brent crude futures rose $4.88, or 4.8 per cent, to $106.04 per barrel. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures were up $4.17, or 4.2 per cent, to $104.29 per barrel.

GIFT Nifty on the NSE IX traded lower by 311 points, or 1.36 per cent, at 22,540, signaling that Dalal Street was headed for a gap-down start on Thursday.

Mildly bullish

The Thesis

The Iran de-escalation is redrawing the playbook. With Brent sliding toward $100 and VIX crashing 10 per cent, InvestorAi is positioning for a post-conflict rotation - energy producers still earning at elevated crude, IT services riding global confidence recovery, and domestic consumption plays unlocked by easing input costs. The PCR at 0.77 signals room for further upside as residual shorts unwind into the relief rally.

Where We're Concentrated

Three clusters dominate: IT services (highest confidence across the book), energy and power infrastructure (upstream oil plus grid/renewables), and domestic demand (insurance, retail, logistics, auto). This is a bet on normalisation - India's growth engines reigniting as geopolitical risk reprices lower. The thesis breaks if de-escalation reverses and crude spikes back above $105.

Conviction Picks

Max Financial Services HIGHEST CONVICTION

Insurance stands at the centre of the risk-on rotation - falling VIX and renewed equity appetite drive inflows into protection and investment products.

ONGC STRONG CONVICTION

Best of both worlds - Brent at $101 is still hugely profitable for India's largest upstream producer, while de-escalation removes the tail risk overhang.

Oracle Financial Services HIGHEST CONFIDENCE

IT services are the quality play in the relief rally - global banking technology spend recovers as risk appetite normalises post-conflict.

Avenue Supermarts (DMart) STRONG CONVICTION

Falling crude directly eases supply chain and logistics costs for India's most operationally leveraged retailer - consumption recovery starts here.

Delhivery

Logistics infrastructure benefits from both the consumption recovery and lower fuel costs - a direct play on the domestic demand thesis.

One Thing to Watch

Brent crude at $100. A decisive break below confirms the war premium is fully unwound and turbocharges the consumption rotation. A bounce back above $105 signals the geopolitical discount isn't done - and invalidates half the book.

At the close on Wednesday, the total market valuation of BSE Sensex was Rs 4,22,01,433.48.