On May 21, the SENSEX declined by 135.03 points or 0.18% to close at 75,183.36, while the NIFTY50 ended at 23,654.70, down by 4.30 points or 0.02%. According to reports from The Hindu, the SENSEX slumped as much as 0.43% to touch an intraday low of 74,996.78, while the NIFTY50 reached the session's low of 23,596.60. The SENSEX gyrated 949.01 points during the volatile trading session, hitting a high of 75,945.79 before surrendering earlier gains. Market breadth remained firmly positive with 2,307 shares advancing against 1,688 declines, indicating broader buying interest beneath muted benchmark moves. As per The Hindu, the NIFTY Smallcap 100 index jumped by 0.63% or 112.15 points to end at 17,983.05, showing resilience in smaller companies despite broader market weakness.
Realty stocks led sectoral gains with the NIFTY Realty index rising 1.05% as investors rotated into domestic growth-oriented sectors. Anant Raj Ltd gained 4.41%, Phoenix Mills Ltd jumped 2.89% while Aditya Birla Real Estate Ltd shed 1.90%. NIFTY Auto index rose 0.28% as auto parts maker Samvardhana Motherson International moved the most, rising 3.6% to ₹137 after reporting a rise in profit. Bajaj Auto rose 2% to ₹10,667 after Brent crude prices cooled sharply on hopes of a potential U.S.-Iran deal, easing concerns around fuel costs and inflationary pressures. However, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles flatlined at ₹361.3 and Maruti Suzuki also ended flat. InterGlobe Aviation, Trent, Bharat Electronics and Adani Ports were among the winners in the current session, while Bajaj Finance, Tech Mahindra, Hindustan Unilever, Infosys, Bajaj Finserv and Bharti Airtel were among the major laggards from the 30-Sensex firms.
The top losers included Bajaj Finance (-1.62%), Hindustan Unilever (-1.40%), Tech Mahindra (-1.33%), Infosys (-1.30%), and Bajaj Finserv (-1.24%). As reported by The Hindu, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) sold shares worth ₹1,597.35 crore on Wednesday (May 20, 2026), while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) bought equities worth ₹1,968.35 crore on a net basis, according to exchange data. FMCG stocks including Hindustan Unilever and Nestlé India remained subdued amid concerns around slowing urban consumption trends and pressure on margins. Technology stocks extended decline after strong gains in global semiconductor and AI-linked shares overnight, with heavyweights such as Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services and HCL Technologies continuing to weaken. In the current session, Grasim Industries, IndiGo, Apollo Hospitals, Bajaj Auto and BEL were among the top gainers, while Bajaj Finance, Hindustan Unilever, and Tech Mahindra emerged as key laggards.
Apollo Hospitals Enterprise witnessed strong buying interest after reporting a rise in profit and announcing plans to divest stake in its fertility and maternity business to Kids Clinic India in a deal valued at about ₹1,550 crore. Vodafone Idea remained among the most actively traded stocks for the seventh consecutive session as investors tracked developments around its proposed ₹35,000-crore funding package with lenders. Sammaan Capital rallied despite reporting a wider quarterly loss, while Jaiprakash Power Ventures gained after Adani Power signed agreements to acquire a 24% stake and related assets from Jaiprakash Associates. Ola Electric Mobility declined after reporting a sharp drop in quarterly revenue, raising concerns over slowing demand and intensifying competition in the electric scooter market.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, declined 0.71% to $104.3 per barrel level, providing some relief to energy-sensitive sectors. In Asian markets, South Korea's benchmark Kospi and Japan's Nikkei 225 index ended higher, with the Kospi surging over 8%. However, Shanghai's SSE Composite index and Hong Kong's Hang Seng index ended lower. Markets in Europe were trading in positive territory, while U.S. markets ended significantly higher on Wednesday (May 20, 2026). As per Hariprasad K., Research Analyst and Founder, Livelong Wealth, "Indian equity markets witnessed another volatile session today, with benchmark indices surrendering their strong opening gains as positive global cues collided with persistent macroeconomic concerns and strong resistance at higher levels."
