Final Trade: Sensex rebounds over 2,000 points from day’s low, gains 900 pts; Nifty reclaims 24,750

Indian markets staged a remarkable recovery on Friday, with the Sensex rebounding over 2,000 points from the session's low to gain 900 points, while the Nifty crossed 24,750. This turnaround was led by IT stocks amid hopes of a U.S. rate cut and a stellar performance by Bharti Airtel, which surged 4% after Jefferies included it in its top Asia picks for 2025.

However, not all sectors shared the optimism. The Nifty Metals index dropped 1.7%, making it the day’s worst-performing sector, as a stronger U.S. dollar and unclear Chinese stimulus measures weighed on sentiment. High-weightage financials dipped 0.6%, while IT stocks fell 0.5%, halting a four-day rally of 2.2%.

On the macroeconomic front, domestic inflation data for November provided some relief, easing within the Reserve Bank of India's 2%-6% tolerance band. This keeps hopes alive for a dovish monetary stance in upcoming policy reviews.