Sensex jumps 544 pts, Nifty tops 24,750 on easing oil prices and FII buying

The benchmark indices ended higher on Monday, extending gains for the fourth consecutive trading session. The rally was driven by a sharp decline in Brent crude oil prices amid easing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Continued foreign institutional investor (FII) inflows over the past few sessions further boosted sentiment. Broad-based buying lifted most sectoral indices, while the midcap and smallcap indices also ended in the green. The Nifty settled above the 24,750 mark, supported by gains in IT and private banking stocks. Technically, immediate resistance is seen around the 24,800 level, while the 24,100 zone is expected to act as key support.