Benchmark indices ended marginally lower on Thursday in the volatile session amid positive global cues ahead of US inflation data due later in the day.

Nifty 50 closed nearly 9 points, or 0.03 per cent, lower at 24,315.95, while the Sensex settled 27 points, or 0.03 per cent, down at 79,897.34.

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The top Nifty movers were ITC, ONGC, Tata Motors, SBI and Coal India while on the flip side, shares of Mahindra and Mahindra, Bajaj Finance, Larsen and Toubro (L&T), HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank ended as the top drags.

BSE Midcap and Smallcap indices outperformed the benchmarks, rising 0.34 per cent and 0.57 per cent, respectively. The overall market capitalisation of the firms listed on BSE rose to nearly Rs 451.3 lakh crore from nearly Rs 450.1 lakh crore in the previous session.

Among the sectors, Nifty Oil and Gas (1.10 per cent) and Media (1.03 per cent) clocked healthy gains while on the losing side were Nifty Realty (1.49 per cent) and Pharma (0.60 per cent). Nifty Bank rose 0.16 per cent while the PSU Bank and Private Bank indices moved up by 0.17 per cent and 0.16 per cent, respectively.

Nifty FMCG index continued its upward momentum, marking a new milestone with a record high of 59,587 points, extending its winning streak for the fifth consecutive trading session. It gained 0.40 per cent during the session, accumulating a 4.3 per cent increase over the past five sessions, bringing it closer to the 60,000 level.

In a significant uptrend, a report by Motilal Oswal Financial Services said the total number of Demat accounts surged to 16.2 crore in June 2024. New additions spiked by 42 lakh in June, marking the highest account opening rate since February 2024.

This indicates a 4.24 per cent spike from the previous month and a substantial 34.66 per cent rise compared to last year.

In comparison, Demat account additions were 36 lakh a month ago and 23.6 lakh a year ago. So far FY25 has seen an average monthly growth rate of 34 lakh.

Shares of YES Bank spiked over 7 per cent after Moody’s revised its outlook to ‘positive’ from ‘stable’ on hopes of improvement in the lender’s depositor base and lending franchise.

So far this year, the stock of YES Bank has rallied over 24 per cent. Earlier, YES Bank had touched a 52-week high of Rs 32 apiece on February 9, 2024.

Indian Railway Catering and Tourism (IRCTC) shares rose by 2 per cent to Rs 1,041 per share following a collaboration between the Delhi Metro Corporation (DMRC) and the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) to promote the ‘One India-One Ticket’ initiative.

So far this year, shares of IRCTC jumped over 16 per cent. Earlier, IRCTC had hit a 52-week high of Rs 1,148 per share on May 22, 2024.

The focus was also on the US CPI which is due later on Thursday as it will shape expectations of rate cuts by the US Fed.

In his testimony to Congress, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said the central bank needs more data to start cutting rates.