New Delhi, Sept. 21 -- Indian stocks advanced in Monday's trade, 21 September, as sustained losses prompted value buying in select counters, while oil-sensitive stocks recovered following a drop in crude prices, although underlying geopolitical tensions capped the upside

Although the frontline indices opened the session with modest losses, they quickly gained momentum as buying emerged in heavyweights such as HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, ONGC, and Reliance Industries, leading to strong gains. The positive close brought much-needed optimism to Dalal Street as the markets remained lower for six consecutive weeks.

The Nifty closed 0.29% higher at 23,414, while the Sensex rallied 0.81% to 74,894. The broader markets, however, remained mixed, with...