New Delhi, March 20 -- Nifty PSU Bank index surged almost 4% in intra-day deals on Friday, March 20 following broader gains on Dalal Street. This comes after a steel 3% fall in the previous session.

The Nifty PSU Bank jumped as much as 3.8% to its day's high of 8,731.15.

Meanwhile, the Indian stock market benchmarks Nifty and Sensex also rose on Friday, March 20, tracking gains in Asian markets and aided by short-covering after sharp losses in the previous session. Sentiment improved as crude oil prices eased and the US dollar softened, offering relief to investors.

Optimism was further supported by geopolitical signals, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicating that Israel would avoid targeting energy infrastructure an...