Private banks, autos lead Indian stock benchmarks higher

HDFC Life Insurance

16/10/2025 07:30

** India's stock benchmarks Nifty 50 .NSEI and Sensex .BSESN rise 0.5% each, in a broad-based rally led by private banks after Axis Bank's quarterly results

** Fifteen of the 16 major sectors advance; private banks .NIFPVTBNK rise 0.9%

** Axis Bank AXBK.NS gains 3% despite posting a drop in the September quarter profit as several analysts point to improved operating performance, asset quality as positives

** Domestic rate-sensitives such as autos .NIFTYAUTO, realty .NIFTYREAL rise 1.3% and 1.8%, respectively, after October monetary policy committee meeting minutes hint at a rate cut in December

** "Consumption boost due to tax cuts, festive demand to aid economic and earnings growth momentum, lifting investor sentiment," says Ashwini Shami, investment manager on smallcase and executive vice president of Omniscience Capital

** Broader small-caps .NIFSMCP100 and mid-caps .NIFMDCP100 rise 0.3% and 0.4%, respectively

** Among stocks, Ola Electric OLAE.NS jumps 4.6% after launching its first battery energy storage system (BESS)

** HDFC Life HDFL.NS drops 4% on margin pressure due to goods and services tax (GST) cut impact

 (Reporting by Bharath Rajeswaran in Bengaluru)

 ((bharath.rajeswaran@thomsonreuters.com; +91 9769003463;))