The Indian stock market closed marginally higher on Thursday, November 12, 2026, after witnessing volatility throughout the trading session. Buying in banking and real estate stocks helped the benchmark indices remain in positive territory, while profit-booking at higher levels limited their gains. The rupee also weakened against the US dollar.
At the close, the BSE Sensex gained 31.61 points, or 0.04%, to settle at 81,911.01. The NSE Nifty advanced 44.30 points, or 0.18%, to close at 25,299.35.
The Indian equity market opened on a weak note on Thursday, with both the Sensex and Nifty trading in negative territory during the initial session. However, buying in banking and financial stocks helped the benchmark indices recover their early losses.
During the session, the Sensex also crossed the 82,000 mark. However, investors started booking profits at higher levels, restricting the gains in the benchmark indices.
The market's performance remained relatively subdued compared with Wednesday's session, when the Sensex had surged by around 773 points and the Nifty had gained 210 points.
Market breadth remained positive, with 2,279 stocks advancing, while 1,822 declined. A total of 167 stocks remained unchanged.
Real estate stocks led the sectoral gains during Thursday's trading session. The Nifty Realty index closed approximately 3.6% higher.
Buying was also recorded in public sector banks and banking stocks. The Nifty PSU Bank index gained 0.93%, while the Nifty Bank index advanced 0.71%. The Nifty Media index also rose 0.83%.
On the other hand, auto stocks faced the highest selling pressure. The Nifty Auto index declined 1.49%. The pharmaceutical sector fell 0.84%, while the Oil and Gas index dropped 0.66%.
The Nifty FMCG index declined 0.63%, the IT index fell 0.64%, and the Energy index lost 0.55%. The Infrastructure index also ended 0.42% lower.
Among the major Nifty constituents, HDFC Life, Bajaj Finance, Shriram Finance, SBI Life Insurance and State Bank of India were among the leading gainers.
Bajaj Finance shares also received support from the company's fundraising plans. The company has initiated the process of raising capital through a Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP).
On the other hand, ONGC, Hindustan Unilever (HUL), Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M), Nestle India and Power Grid Corporation were among the stocks that recorded declines.
Midcap and smallcap stocks outperformed the broader benchmark indices. The Nifty Midcap index gained approximately 0.7%, while the Smallcap index advanced around 1.1%.
The Indian rupee weakened against the US dollar on Thursday, declining 34 paise to close at around 94.03 per dollar. In the previous trading session, the domestic currency had settled at 93.69 per dollar.
Foreign investor buying provided support to the rupee during the initial phase of trading. However, increased demand for the US dollar and the slowdown in the domestic equity market's gains subsequently put pressure on the currency.
The strength of the US dollar in overseas markets and fluctuations in crude oil prices were also among the key factors influencing the rupee's movement.
