India’s BSE Sensex rose about 0.4% to 78,420 on Thursday, extending gains for a second consecutive session as hopes of a US-Iran peace deal weighed on oil prices and lifted market sentiment. US President Donald Trump said Israel and Lebanon will hold talks later in the day, signaling further easing of Middle East tensions, while oil prices slipped below $95 after reports that Iran could consider allowing ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, outweighing concerns over ongoing supply disruptions. On the corporate front, investors are awaiting the earnings releases from Wipro and HDFC Life Insurance, both scheduled to report their January-March results today. Notable gainers included Gallantt Ispat (+7.5%), Infosys (+1.3%), Gujarat Mineral (+9.3%), and HDB Financial (+8.1%), while laggards included MTAR Tech (-2%), Astral (-2.9%), and Tejas Networks (-4.1%). The benchmark index is up 1.3% so far this week, on track for a second weekly gain after six consecutive weekly losses.
