Indian benchmark indices ended Friday's trading session on a mixed note, with the Nifty 50 gaining 75.80 points, or 0.33%, to close at 23,346.40. The BSE Sensex slipped 19.63 points, or 0.03%, to settle at 74,294.96.

The market remained volatile during the session. The Sensex had gained more than 400 points during the day before giving up most of its gains towards the close. The Nifty also touched an intraday high of around 23,389 before ending higher.

Crude Oil Prices Offer Some Relief

One of the key factors supporting the market was a moderation in crude oil prices. Brent crude was trading around $103.41 per barrel, while WTI crude stood near $101.47 per barrel during Friday's session.

However, crude remained above the $100 mark amid continuing geopolitical tensions. Higher oil prices remain a concern for India because they can increase the import bill and put pressure on inflation, the trade balance and the rupee.

IT and Tata Stocks Remain Under Pressure

Despite the Nifty's gains, selling pressure was visible in several large stocks. IT shares remained weak, while Tata Group counters also faced pressure during the session. Concerns over global technology spending and profit booking contributed to weakness in the IT segment.

On the other hand, Adani Ports, Adani Enterprises and Bharti Airtel were among the notable Nifty gainers. Adani Ports gained nearly 5% during the session, while Adani Enterprises and Bharti Airtel also recorded strong advances.

Broader Market Performs Better

The broader market showed stronger performance than the headline indices. The Nifty MidCap 100 and Nifty SmallCap 100 both gained more than 1% during Friday's session, indicating buying interest beyond the large-cap segment.

Sixth Consecutive Weekly Decline

Despite Friday's recovery, the Indian stock market ended the week lower for the sixth consecutive week. The Nifty declined around 0.22% for the week, while the Sensex lost approximately 0.65%. This marked the longest weekly losing streak for Indian equities since 2020, according to Reuters reporting.

What Investors Will Watch Next

Investors are likely to keep a close watch on crude oil prices, global bond yields, foreign investor flows and geopolitical developments in the coming sessions. The continuing IPO activity is also attracting liquidity, which can influence trading volumes in the secondary market.

Friday's session therefore provided some relief to the Nifty after recent weakness, but the broader market remains sensitive to global interest rates, oil prices and geopolitical risks.