Indian benchmark equity indices traded sideways on Thursday, with the S&P BSE Sensex falling 79.13 points or 0.09% to 75,247.82 at 12:28 IST, while the Nifty 50 index rose 8.95 points or 0.04% to 23,663.40. The BSE 150 MidCap Index rose 0.31% and the BSE 250 SmallCap Index jumped 0.71%, outperforming the frontline indices. The reversal came as selling pressure emerged in financial and consumer stocks, even as healthcare and aviation counters held firm. According to The Hindu BusinessLine, markets gave up their opening gains as the Sensex, which had opened at 75,732.42, faced selling pressure throughout the session.
Consumer durables emerged as the standout performers in the recovery, with the Nifty Consumer Durables index adding 0.58% to 35,204.60, recovering from a 0.19% decline in the previous trading session. Amber Enterprises India surged 6.87%, Whirlpool of India gained 2.92%, Dixon Technologies rose 2.76%, Kalyan Jewellers India advanced 2.11%, and PG Electroplast climbed 1.56%. Other notable gainers included LG Electronics India up 1.21%, Kajaria Ceramics rising 0.93%, Bata India gaining 0.69%, and Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals up 0.5%. However, some stocks moved lower, with Voltas declining 1.67%, Blue Star falling 0.8%, and Titan Company dropping 0.26%.
Banking stocks emerged as the standout performers in the recovery, with the Nifty Bank rising 153 points to close at 53,562. The Nifty Midcap 100 index gained 301.30 points to settle at 61,323.30, significantly outperforming the broader market. Bank Nifty rose 0.29%, while the PSU Bank and Private Bank indices climbed by 0.43% and 0.25% respectively. Among individual stocks, Reliance Industries emerged as the biggest support for benchmark indices, surging 2.84% and closing at ₹1,359.70, up 37.00 points or 2.80%. The stock recovered around 3% or nearly ₹40 from the day's low after touching levels near ₹1,312–₹1,314. The overall market capitalisation of BSE-listed firms rose to over ₹461 lakh crore from ₹459.65 lakh crore in the previous session.
Energy-linked stocks remained strong throughout the session, with the Nifty Oil & Gas surging 1.61% and Nifty Energy gaining 1.19%. The Nifty Oil & Gas and the Nifty Auto outperformed the market, aided by buying interest in energy and automobile counters. The Nifty Auto index advanced 0.84%, while PSU banks and private banks also ended higher on selective buying. However, some sectors faced pressure, with the Nifty Media falling 1.45% and FMCG declining 0.71%. The Nifty IT ended at a loss of 0.42%, while Bank Nifty rose 0.29%.
Market breadth on BSE remained broadly positive with 2,478 shares rising and 1,464 shares falling, while 229 shares remained unchanged. As many as 104 stocks hit 52-week highs while 27 touched 52-week lows, with 165 stocks in the upper circuit and 119 in the lower circuit. Among Nifty 50 gainers, Grasim Industries led with a 4.64% gain on heavy volumes, while InterGlobe Aviation rose 3.52% and Apollo Hospitals gained 2.99%. In the derivatives market, the NSE's India VIX tanked 3.90% to 17.72, while the Nifty 26 May 2026 futures were trading at 23,670.40 at a discount of 18.7 points compared with the spot. The Nifty option chain for the 26 May 2026 expiry showed a maximum call OI of 137.4 lakh contracts at the 24,000 strike price and maximum put OI of 102.2 lakh contracts at a 22,500 strike price.
