The Indian stock markets ended with marginal gains on Wednesday after a volatile trading session as investors remained cautious amid ongoing corporate earnings and concerns over a potential India-US trade deal, which kept market sentiment in check.

The Sensex recovered from early losses to close at 82,634.48, up 63.57 points or 0.08 per cent. The broader Nifty index also ended almost flat at 25,212.05, rising just 16.25 points or 0.06 per cent.

“The Nifty continues to face resistance at the crucial level of 25,260, which is the 38.20 per cent Fibonacci retracement of the recent decline from 25,669, indicating indecision among investors at the higher level,” Rupak De of LKP Securities stated.

“On the daily chart, the index has been sustaining above the 50-day moving average (50DMA), signifying a positive short-term trend,” he added.

Investments to set up thermal electricity generation capacities will double to Rs 2.3 lakh crore in India over the three fiscals through 2028, compared with the preceding three fiscals, a report said on Wednesday.

Renewed focus on the segment to help meet India’s growing demand for energy and base load power requirement, said Crisil Ratings.

In the preceding three fiscals, private companies accounted for only 7-8 per cent of the investments.

Over the next three fiscals, private companies will expand their investment, contributing nearly a third, with central and state public sector undertakings accounting for the balance, the report stated.

The board of directors of State Bank of India (SBI) on Wednesday approved a proposal to raise funds worth Rs 20,000 crore through the issuance of bonds to domestic investors in the current financial year (FY26).

In a regulatory filing, India's largest lender confirmed that its Central Board approved the raising of up to Rs 20,000 crore during the current financial year through "Basel III-compliant Additional Tier 1 and Tier 2 bonds". These bonds will be issued in Indian rupees to domestic investors, subject to government approvals where necessary.

The move is aimed at strengthening the capital base of the country’s largest bank.

After the announcement of the fundraiser, SBI shares shot up over 2 per cent to touch an intra-day high of Rs 834 on the National Stock Exchange (NSE).

Nifty is expected to reach 26,889 by December this year, driven by a multi-faceted recovery in domestic demand, supportive monetary policies and focused fiscal initiatives, a report stated on Wednesday.

Reflecting the positive sentiment, “we have raised Nifty 12-month target to 26,889, valuing the Nifty at 2.5 per cent discount to 15-year average PE at 18.5x," PL Capital, a financial services provider, said in its report.

Domestically-oriented sectors, such as domestic pharma, select staples, banks, capital goods, defence, and power, will outperform in the near term.

“In the first quarter, government capital expenditure was front-loaded, recording impressive growth of 61 per cent in April and 39 per cent in May, supported by strong momentum in new project orders and a significant increase in defence spending," the report said.

India’s largest Public Sector Bank, the State Bank of India (SBI), is likely to launch its Rs 25,000 crore Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP) very soon, according to multiple reports.

The pricing of this Qualified Institutional Placement is expected to be close to the current market price, with a possible discount of up to 2–3 per cent.

At present, the SBI's shares are trading at Rs 827.80 on the National Stock Exchange, up by Rs 11.35 or 1.39 per cent.

If the bank goes ahead with the expected discount, the Qualified Institutional Placement issue price could be slightly lower than this level.

The Indian equity indices opened in the red on Wednesday due to mixed cues from global markets.

At 9:26 am, Sensex was down 141 points or 0.17 per cent at 82,429 and Nifty was down 57 points or 0.23 per cent at 25,138.

Midcap and smallcap indices were trading in the green with marginal gains. Nifty midcap 100 index was up 23 points to 59,636 and Nifty smallcap 100 index was up 15 points to 19,150.

“The market has been oscillating in a narrow range during the last two months. A breakout above the upper band of the range, well beyond Nifty 25,500, needs positive triggers," said Dr. VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Limited.

About 41 years after Rakesh Sharma's flight in 1984, India sent an astronaut into space -- Shubhanshu Shukla.

Shukla, who became the first Indian to go to the International Space Station (ISS), has emerged as the new star -- also establishing a firm place for India in the global space arena.

The 20-day mission, led by private American company Axiom Space, in collaboration with NASA, SpaceX, and other government space agencies, including ISRO, launched to the ISS on June 26.

The gold and silver prices declined on Tuesday after having an upward rally for the past two days, amid escalating uncertainties around the US tariffs.

The price of 24-carat gold dropped by over Rs 300, according to the India Bullion Jewellers Association (IBJA). Ten grams of 24-carat gold cost Rs 387 less, from Rs 98,303 to Rs 97,916.

The price of 10 grams of 22-carat gold also decreased, going from Rs 90,045 to Rs 89,691, a decrease of Rs 354. Additionally, the price of 18-carat gold fell, from Rs 73,727 to Rs 73,437 during the previous trading session, a decrease of Rs 290.

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) reiterated the importance of completing the Mandatory Biometric Update (MBU) for children who have attained the age of seven but have not yet updated their biometrics in Aadhaar.

UIDAI said it has started sending SMS messages to the mobile numbers registered in the Aadhaar of such children for completing the MBU exercise.

Equity mutual funds significantly reduced their cash holdings in the month of June, indicating a resurgence of market confidence, according to latest data.

The average cash-to-assets under management (AUM) ratio fell from 3.56 per cent in May to a 12-month low of 3.09 per cent last month, according to data from Prime MF Database.

In absolute terms, mutual funds invested almost Rs 15,000 crore more in stocks each month, bringing the total amount of money in all schemes down from Rs 1.65 lakh crore in May to Rs 1.5 lakh crore in June.

Approximately 62 per cent of active equity mutual funds decreased their cash holdings, up from 60 per cent the month before.