Stock market today, April 21 -- The Indian stock market continued its upward momentum on Monday, marking its fifth straight session of gains, driven by strong buying in banking, IT, energy, and auto sectors. The benchmark Sensex surged over 1,000 points, or 1.3%, while the Nifty 50 crossed the 24,000 mark. A sharp rally in banking stocks pushed the Bank Nifty index to record highs.

During intraday trade, the Sensex soared by 1,056.56 points, reaching 79,609.76, and the Nifty 50 climbed 333.9 points to touch 24,185.55.

"The significant surge in the Sensex and Nifty today, with the Nifty surpassing 24,150, is fueled by robust Q4 earnings from major private sector banks like HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank, showcasing strong deposit growth and as...