New Delhi, Nov. 17 -- Indian stocks closed Monday's session, November 17, with healthy gains, led by financials, as investor sentiment remained buoyant on improving domestic fundamentals, sending both key indices past their crucial psychological levels.

The Nifty 50 ended the session with a 0.4% gain, closing above the 26,000 mark, at 26,012, while the Sensex posted a similar rise of 0.46% to finish at 84,952. Broader markets outperformed, with the Nifty Midcap 100 climbing 0.75% and the Nifty Smallcap 100 advancing 0.57%.

Today's rally was largely driven by banks, with both PSU and private-sector lenders closing with strong gains, providing much-needed support to the benchmark indices as they edged closer to their record highs.

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