Indian stock benchmarks ended Thursday's session largely flat amid subdued risk appetite, missing out on global gains seen from Japan to Europe. Nifty 50 edged up just 0.06% to 25,496.55 while Sensex shed 0.03% to 82,248.61, swinging between gains and losses throughout the day. Public sector banks led gains with a 1% rise, driven by State Bank of India's 0.8% increase after CLSA reiterated its outperform rating citing strong liquidity and growth prospects. The pharma sector gained 1.1%, extending its five-session rally to 3.9% on sector rotation. Mid-caps advanced 0.7% while small-caps remained flat. HDFC Bank declined 1%, offsetting broader market strength. Crude oil fell 108 points to 5,881 while gold dropped 1,645 points to 159,500, reflecting broader commodity weakness in today's choppy trading environment.
