Indian markets are expected to open positively on Friday, May 22, 2026, following gains in global markets amid hopes for a US-Iran peace deal to end the Middle East conflict. According to Mint, Gift Nifty was trading around 23,654 level, a premium of nearly 23 points from the Nifty futures' previous close, indicating a flat start for Indian stock market indices. On Thursday, the Indian stock market ended lower with the Sensex declining 135.03 points, or 0.18%, to close at 75,183.36, while the Nifty 50 settled 4.30 points, or 0.02%, lower at 23,654.70. Asian markets traded higher on Friday, with Japan's Nikkei 225 rallying 1.36% and South Korea's Kospi gaining 0.52%, while the US stock market posted record highs with the Dow Jones gaining 276.31 points to 50,285.66.
Market expert Raja Venkatraman of NeoTrader has recommended three stocks for trading on May 22, 2026. As reported by Mint, the recommended stocks include Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd (ABFRL) with a buy above ₹67, stop loss at ₹63, and target of ₹77, Metro Brands Ltd (METROBRAND) with a buy above ₹1,110, stop loss at ₹1,050, and target of ₹1,225, and Great Eastern Shipping Company Ltd (GESHIP) with a buy above ₹1,725, stop loss at ₹1,625, and target of ₹1,925. All recommendations are based on equity trading and F&O selling rates.
According to Mint reports, the market outlook suggests limited rangebound movement is keeping the market restrained, with hesitation building as the market struggles to decode sentiment. The Nifty managed to hold on to support levels and did not give up during recent consolidation, with trends showing upward possibility getting more wings around the 24,000 level due to steady put writers. Technical analysis indicates that the PCR nearing 0.80 could enable trended moves, while the gap-down opening was covered ensuring prices traded above the range developed over recent days. For shorts to be taken, the Nifty needs to move above 24,000, which is the immediate support level per open interest data. Market expert Ajit Mishra from Religare Broking recommends a cautious stance on the index and suggests a stock-specific trading approach while maintaining balanced exposure on both long and short sides.
As reported by Mint, ABFRL is trading at ₹66.76 with a 52-week high of ₹98 and volume of 8.1M, showing support at ₹60 and resistance at ₹80. Metro Brands Ltd is trading at ₹1,108.80 with a 52-week high of ₹1,340.40, P/E ratio of 75.41, and volume of 294.14K, showing support at ₹1,025 and resistance at ₹1,250. Great Eastern Shipping Company is trading at ₹1,719.60 with a 52-week high of ₹1,798, P/E ratio of 10.41, and volume of 2.61M, showing support at ₹1,605 and resistance at ₹1,950.
