Market recap: Six of top-10 most valued firms add Rs 88,678 crore; ICICI Bank biggest gainer

Six of India's 10 most valuable companies added a combined Rs 88,678.1 crore to their market valuation during the holiday-shortened week, even as four others saw their valuations decline.

ICICI Bank posted the biggest increase among the top-10 firms.The gains came in a week when benchmark indices ended marginally higher. The BSE Sensex rose 297.57 points, or 0.38 per cent, while the NSE Nifty advanced 42.9 points, or 0.17 per cent."Markets ended the holiday-shortened week with modest gains, advancing in three of the four trading sessions. Sentiment remained constructive, supported by easing crude oil prices, improving geopolitical developments in West Asia, and selective buying by foreign institutional investors (FIIs)," Ajit Mishra, SVP, Research, Religare Broking Ltd, told PTI.ICICI Bank led the gainers, with its market capitalisation increasing by Rs 29,588.75 crore to Rs 9,95,610.74 crore. HDFC Bank followed, adding Rs 24,718.3 crore to take its valuation to Rs 12,25,981.44 crore.Reliance Industries also registered an increase of Rs 12,043.96 crore, taking its valuation to Rs 17,83,926.92 crore. Bajaj Finance gained Rs 11,580.28 crore to reach Rs 6,10,081.53 crore, while State Bank of India added Rs 9,322.93 crore, pushing its market capitalisation to Rs 9,64,738 crore.

Larsen & Toubro's valuation rose by Rs 1,423.88 crore to Rs 5,80,550.83 crore.Among the companies that lost market value, Bharti Airtel recorded the steepest decline. Its market capitalisation fell by Rs 35,615.21 crore to Rs 11,27,348.09 crore.Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) shed Rs 21,188.74 crore in valuation to Rs 5,35,537.56 crore, while Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) declined by Rs 11,143.71 crore to Rs 7,58,206.42 crore.

Hindustan Unilever's market capitalisation slipped by Rs 5,321.83 crore to Rs 5,10,624.92 crore.Despite the changes in valuation, Reliance Industries retained its position as the country's most valued company. HDFC Bank remained second, followed by Bharti Airtel, ICICI Bank, State Bank of India, TCS, Bajaj Finance, Larsen & Toubro, LIC and Hindustan Unilever.