Sensex posts best pre-Diwali rally in 35 years with 10.6% surge

India's Sensex index surged 10.6% over a seven-session pre-Diwali rally, its best such performance in 35 years, closing Friday with a 1,781-point gain despite a US market crash led by AI stocks. The weekly gain of 8.8% was driven by a resurgence of foreign portfolio investors, who bought Indian stocks worth about $5.2 billion, amid hopes of US policy stability after midterm polls and a diplomatic resolution to the West Asia conflict that pulled crude prices down 20%. The Sensex closed above the 80,000 mark and the Nifty above 25,000 for the first time in over nine months, with the Nifty rising 8.6% this week to 25,030 points, as the rally added 7,782 points to the Sensex.