By Anurag Kumar
New Delhi: Indian equity markets opened on a strong note Thursday, tracking positive global cues led by a US-Vietnam trade agreement and optimism around a potential US-India trade pact. The BSE Sensex surged 324.29 points to 84,021.58 in early trade, while the NSE Nifty50 jumped 98.70 points to 25,567.35. On Wednesday, after rising to an intra-day high of 83,935.29, the Sensex lost momentum and closed at 83,409.69, down 287.6 points or 0.34 per cent. The Nifty also declined by 88.45 points or 0.35 per cent to end the day at 25,453.4. What’s Driving Today’s Rally? Investor sentiment got a boost from global developments, including the US–Vietnam trade deal that rekindled hopes of stronger Asia-Pacific partnerships. Back home, anticipation around a potential US–India trade agreement added to the bullish tone. Top Movers in Trade: Within the Sensex pack, Asian Paints, Eternal, Infosys, Tata Steel, Power Grid, and ICICI Bank led the charge, rising up to 1.7%. On the flip side, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Bajaj Finance, BEL, and Trent were trading in the red. Sector-wise, Nifty Auto, IT, and Metal indices were in the green, gaining between 0.3% and 0.7%. HDB Financial Services saw renewed buying interest, rising 4% a day after its listing on the bourses. The stock had debuted at ₹835, a 13% premium to its IPO price of ₹740, and continues to attract investor enthusiasm. Top Gainers (Opening Trade): Aki India Ltd.: +4.99%Future Lifestyle Fashions Ltd.: +4.84%Aster DM Healthcare Ltd.: +4.32%KRBL Ltd.: +3.11%RateGain Travel Tech: +2.63% Top Losers:VST Industries: -5.14%Bharat Dynamics: -3.38%Avenue Supermarts: -3.35%Raymond Ltd.: -2.77%Tata Power: -1.86% All eyes now turn to geopolitical headlines and foreign institutional flows for cues on whether the rally can sustain through the week. Get Latest News live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Business, Companies and around the world.