Mumbai, June 25 -- Equity benchmarks ended sharply higher on Wednesday, buoyed by positive global cues as investor sentiment improved following signs of a tentative ceasefire between Israel and Iran. A strong showing by IT and consumer durables stocks helped push the indices higher.

The S&P BSE Sensex surged 700.40 points (0.85%) to close at 82,755.51, while the Nifty 50 jumped 200.40 points (0.80%) to 25,244.75. Over the two consecuctive sessions, the Sensex has gained 1.05%, and the Nifty has climbed 1.09%.

Infosys (up 2.15%), Reliance Industries (up 1.19%) and HDFC Bank (up 0.99%) boosted the indices.

In the broader market, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index rose 0.63% and the S&P BSE Small-Cap index added 1.59%.

The market breadth was stro...