Indian equity markets ended slightly higher on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, breaking a four-session losing streak. According to The Times of India, the BSE Sensex settled 49.74 points, or 0.07 per cent, higher at 74,608.98, while the NSE Nifty50 gained 33.05 points, or 0.14 per cent, to close at 23,412.60. The recovery was driven by buying in metal, energy and FMCG counters, helping markets rebound from sharp intraday swings. As reported by Livelong Wealth, after two consecutive heavy sell-off sessions, Indian equity markets witnessed a relatively stable session with benchmark indices managing to close marginally in the green.
Markets remained highly volatile throughout the trading session, with the Sensex moving in a band of more than 1,000 points between an intraday high of 75,191.57 and a low of 74,134.48. As reported by The Times of India, investors weighed easing global pressure against concerns over crude oil prices, rupee weakness and continued foreign fund selling. Despite the volatility, broader markets outperformed the benchmarks, with the BSE MidCap Select index rising 0.90 per cent and the SmallCap Select index adding 0.41 per cent. According to Livelong Wealth, the market traded largely range-bound through the day, indicating a temporary pause in panic selling, although underlying sentiment continues to remain cautious amid persistent global and domestic macro concerns.
India VIX, the volatility index, climbed 0.75%, reflecting continued market uncertainty despite the marginal recovery. Among sectoral indices, Nifty Metal rose 3.18%, Nifty Consumer Durables gained 1.67%, and Nifty Oil & Gas advanced 1.28%. Nifty FMCG added 0.30%, while Nifty Pharma and Nifty Healthcare Index rose 0.23% and 0.29%, respectively. However, Nifty IT slipped 1.13%, while Nifty Auto declined 0.97%. Nifty Midcap 100 index rose 0.77% and Nifty Smallcap 100 gained 0.31%, indicating strong performance in mid and small-cap segments. As per Geojit Investments, the recovery was supported by dip buying and short covering in mid- and small-cap stocks.
Asian Paints emerged as the top performer in both indices, gaining 4.48 per cent in the Nifty50 and 4.48 per cent in the Sensex. According to The Times of India, other major gainers included Adani Enterprises (+3.86%), Tata Steel (+3.60%), Hindalco (+3.05%), Adani Ports SEZ (+2.94%), BEL (+2.83%), and Cipla (+2.74%). In the Sensex, Bharti Airtel (+1.85%), L&T (+1.54%), and ITC (+1.25%) also featured among the top performers. From the Sensex constituents, Asian Paints, Tata Steel, Adani Ports, Bharat Electronics, Bharti Airtel and Larsen & Toubro were among the winners. As per Geojit Investments, Tata Steel gained 3.63%, Bharat Electronics climbed 2.93%, and Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone rose 2.79%.
Eicher Motors (-2.17%) and M&M (-2.07%) led the losers in the Nifty50, while Power Grid (-1.52%), Infosys (-1.51%), and TCS (-1.21%) also declined significantly. As reported by The Times of India, TCS (-1.20%), Kwality Wall's (-1.15%), and Sun Pharma (-1.16%) rounded out the top losers in the Nifty50. In the Sensex, M&M (-2.07%), Power Grid (-1.52%), and Infosys (-1.51%) were among the major decliners, reflecting sectoral weakness in automotive and technology stocks. Mahindra & Mahindra, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Sun Pharma and Tech Mahindra were among the biggest laggards. Nifty Realty, Nifty Private Bank and Nifty PSU Bank also ended in the red.
At the same time, concerns over rising tensions in West Asia and the US stance on Iran continued to impact investor confidence globally. As reported by The Times of India, investors stayed cautious ahead of the US-China meeting and ongoing geopolitical tensions in West Asia impacting global sentiment. Brent crude hovered near $107 per barrel, while WTI crude traded above $101 per barrel, keeping concerns around inflation and India's import bill elevated. Analysts said the Nifty's immediate support remains around 23,300, while 23,500 is likely to act as the near-term resistance level after the index failed to hold above that mark during the session. Experts believe markets will continue to react to global trade talks, crude oil prices and geopolitical developments in the coming sessions.
