The bulls mounted a strong comeback as the Nifty extended gains for a second straight session on Friday, ending above the 26,000 mark.

The index opened with a 70 point gap-up amid strong global cues but saw profit booking in the first hour of trade. After 10:30 am, however, buying interest returned sharply, with the Nifty rebounding nearly 120 points from the day's low of 25,938 to settle near the day's high. The benchmark rose 148 points to close at 26,047.

Despite the two-day rebound, the Nifty ended the week with a loss of 0.53%.

Among index heavyweights, Tata Steel, Hindalco and Eternal led the gainers, while Hindustan Unilever, Max Healthcare and Sun Pharma underperformed amid selling pressure.

Market breadth remained strong, with most sectoral indices closing higher. Only the Nif

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