Stock market gains in opening trade amid India-Pak border tensions

The stock market began higher on Friday, despite persistent border tensions between India and Pakistan. The BSE benchmark Sensex was up 261.93 points at 80,063. On the other hand, the NSE Nifty was up 114.75 points at 24,361.45. On Thursday, the Sensex and Nifty reversed their seven-day rally and finished down on profit-taking and Hindustan Unilever's poor fourth-quarter earnings.

Selling in blue-chips ICICI Bank, Bharti Airtel, and a largely muted trend in Asian and European equities also weighed on the markets, according to PTI. The 30-share BSE benchmark fell 315.06 points, or 0.39 percent, to close at 79,801.43. During the day, it dropped 391.94 points or 0.48 per cent to 79,724.55. The NSE Nifty fell by 82.25 points, or 0.34 percent, to 24,246.70.

In the previous seven trading days, the BSE benchmark gauge increased by 6,269.34 points, or 8.48 percent, while the Nifty increased by 1,929.8 points, or 8.61 percent. Asian equities rose on Friday, boosted by a Wall Street surge, excellent profits from Google parent Alphabet, and the potential of easing tensions in US President Donald Trump's trade battle, according to AFP.