Oct 23 Reuters Indian shares rose on Wednesday, after struggling for direction in early trade, as gains in Bajaj Finance lifted sentiment that has been bogged down through most of October by dull corporate earnings and sustained foreign selling.

The NSE Nifty 50 was up 0.2 at 24,520 points as of 1000 a.m. IST, while the SP BSE Sensex added 0.2 to 80,406 points.

The benchmarks fell 0.2 each in opening trade.

They logged their worst sessions in three weeks on Tuesday, weighed down by slowing corporate earnings and an exodus of foreign money.

Foreign outflows from Indian equities, set for a record monthly high, continued for the 17th straight session on Tuesday, as investors redirected funds to China on recentlyannounced stimulus measures and relatively cheaper valuations.

Domestic equities have seen a spate of profittaking since hitting record highs on Sept. 27, with the Nifty shedding about 7 from alltime high levels.

On the day, Bajaj Finance rose 2.5 after its management indicated that credit costs had peaked in the firsthalf of fiscal 2025, which signalled a rebound in earnings growth, according to analysts. The lender was the top percentage gainer on the Nifty 50.

The company39;s upbeat commentary is countering the selling pressure, which is continuing due to dull earnings and foreign outflows, Kranthi Bathini, director of equity strategy at WealthMills Securities, said.

The more domesticallyfocussed smallcaps and midcaps rose 1 each, after inching 0.1 lower in…