Stock market benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty ended nearly one per cent higher on Thursday amid softening crude oil prices, following positive developments on the geopolitical front and buying in blue-chip IT stocks. The 30-share BSE Sensex jumped 579.48 points, or 0.75 per cent, to end at 77,502.12. During the day, it surged 656.29 points, or 0.85 per cent, to 77,578.93. The 50-share NSE Nifty rallied 169.85 points, or 0.71 per cent, to settle at 24,175.70. In the previous session, the BSE MidCap Select index jumped 0.94 per cent and the SmallCap Select index climbed 0.68 per cent. A total of 2,536 stocks advanced, while 1,740 declined and 182 remained unchanged on the BSE. Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth Rs 1,140.50 crore on Wednesday, according to exchange data. “Indian markets ended higher as easing tensions around the Strait of Hormuz pushed crude prices lower, while dovish remarks from the Fed Chair reinforced expectations of moderating inflation and a supportive global rate environment,” Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments Ltd told PTI.