New Delhi, July 2 -- It was the second consecutive day of gains for Dalal Street on Thursday, July 2, as broad-based buying in technology stocks supported the frontline indices, while the continued decline in crude oil prices and progress in negotiations between the US and Iran further boosted market sentiment.

After a 0.60% jump in the previous session, the Nifty 50 strengthened further by 0.71% to close at 24,175, while the Sensex ended the session with a sharp gain of 0.75% at 77,502. The broader markets also posted solid gains, with the Nifty Midcap 100 index rising 0.50% and the Nifty Smallcap 100 ending even higher with a 1.27% gain.

The sectoral rally was led by the Nifty IT index, which surged 4.64%, marking its biggest single-d...