Sensex Finishes Higher, Still Posts Weekly Loss

India’s BSE Sensex closed about 0.4% up at 73895.7 on Friday, partially recovering from previous session's losses, helped by moderating oil prices on fresh hopes for a solution to the Middle East conflict. Still, sentiment remained fragile amid elevated geopolitical uncertainty and continued foreign outflows. US and Iranian negotiators were reportedly exploring a phased deal that would see Tehran reopen the Strait of Hormuz and Washington lift its blockade of Iranian ports. Selective buying emerged in key stocks, with Axis Bank (2.8%), M&M (2.2%), Asian Paints (1.9%), Bajaj Finance (1.2%) and HCL Tech (1.2%) among the top gainers. For the week, the benchmark index lost about 0.5%.