Sensex rises 100 points, Nifty above 17,800 ahead of April derivatives expiry; realty, auto indices gain most

Sensex Today Live: Indian shares traded marginally higher on Thursday, as strong earnings from major firms offset rising recession fears in the United States, ahead of the April series derivatives expiry. Seven of the 13 major sectoral indexes declined, but high weightage financials resisted selling pressure, rising 0.2%, aided by non-banking financial company Bajaj Finance Ltd. Bajaj Finance rose nearly 3% after reporting a bigger-than-expected rise in profit in the March quarter on strong loan demand. Bajaj Finance and its holding company Bajaj Finserv Ltd were among the top Nifty 50 gainers. The Nifty 50 has added over 1% this week, amid a slew of corporate earnings, shrugging off the weakness in global equities. Global equities were subdued after weak economic data in the U.S. heightened concerns of a potential recession in the near term. Asian markets were mostly lower.