The Indian stock market exhibited a mixed performance today, with the Sensex trading at 84,722.13, reflecting a modest gain of 159.35 points or 0.19%. After an initial surge of 137.72 points, the index remains just 0.67% shy of its 52-week high of 85,290.06. Notably, the market is currently above its 50-day moving average, which is also positioned above the 200-day moving average, indicating a bullish trend.
Small-cap stocks led the market's advance, with the BSE Small Cap index rising by 0.52%. Among individual stocks, VLS Finance emerged as the top small-cap gainer, soaring by 17.57%. In the large-cap segment, Hero MotoCorp gained 3.62%, while Tata Motors faced a decline of 4.48%, marking it as the top loser in that category.

Sector performance was largely positive, with 31 out of 38 sectors advancing. The NIFTYPSUBANK sector was the standout performer, increasing by 1.54%, while the BSE IT sector lagged, declining by 0.36%. The advance-decline ratio across the BSE500 was favorable, with 319 stocks advancing compared to 177 declining, reflecting a healthy market sentiment.