New Delhi, Nov. 21 -- Indian benchmark indices extended their gains for the second consecutive session on Thursday, with Nifty 50 rising 0.54% to settle at 26,192.15 and Sensex adding 0.52% to close at 85,632.68. The Nifty 50 scaled a fresh 52-week high of 26,246.65 during the session, driven by positive global sentiment and buying interest in heavyweight stocks like HDFC Bank and Reliance Industries.

On the sectoral front, Energy, Infrastructure, and Finance were the top performers, reflecting confidence in domestic capital expenditure and credit growth. Meanwhile, broader market participation was strong, as indicated by a robust advance-decline ratio. However, underperformance in the Midcap and Smallcap indices suggests a degree of cau...