THRILLED OR RELIEVED?

A pragmatic approach or status quo on direct taxes, what worked in favour of the bulls? It’s probably a mix of both. Indian equities gave a big thumbs-up to Budget 2021, as indices broke a six-day losing streak and closed with a 5 per cent gain on Budget day, the Sensex's biggest gain since 1999.

All the sectors participated in the rally, except for pharma, which declined 0.6 per cent. “The banking