Stock Market Highlights Today: BSE Sensex ends below 75,900, down over 140 points; Nifty50 closes flat

1. ITC: Current Price 291.95 | Price Change -9.70 (-) | -3.22% (-)
2. HDFC Bank: Current Price 758.50 | Price Change -20.40 (-) | -2.62% (-)
3. Infosys: Current Price 1,162 | Price Change -5.71 (-) | -0.49% (-)
4. HUL: Current Price 2,199 | Price Change -10.00 (-) | -0.46% (-)
5. ICICI Bank: Current Price 1,274 | Price Change -5.50 (-) | -0.43% (-)
6. RIL: Current Price 1,352 | Price Change -4.80 (-) | -0.36% (-)
7. BEL: Current Price 418.75 | Price Change -1.36 (-) | -0.33% (-)
8. Tech Mahindra: Current Price 1,456 | Price Change -2.41 (-) | -0.17% (-)
9. SBI: Current Price 967.80 | Price Change -0.71 (-) | -0.08% (-)
10. Kotak Bank: Current Price 388.45 | Price Change -0.20 (-) | -0.06% (-)

1. Power Grid: Current Price 300.05 | Price Change 7.50 (+) | 2.57% (+)
2. Eternal: Current Price 256.51 | Price Change 6.35 (+) | 2.54% (+)
3. NTPC: Current Price 398.25 | Price Change 8.56 (+) | 2.20% (+)
4. Tata Steel: Current Price 214.73 | Price Change 4.26 (+) | 2.03% (+)
5. InterGlobe: Current Price 4,563 | Price Change 81.80 (+) | 1.83% (+)
6. Maruti Suzuki: Current Price 13,335 | Price Change 127.00 (+) | 0.97% (+)
7. Asian Paints: Current Price 2,672 | Price Change 24.80 (+) | 0.94% (+)
8. Adani Ports SEZ: Current Price 1,825 | Price Change 14.10 (+) | 0.78% (+)
9. Trent: Current Price 4,270 | Price Change 30.20 (+) | 0.72% (+)
10. Titan Company: Current Price 4,131 | Price Change 25.00 (+) | 0.61% (+)

Rupee settles on flat note, up 1 paise at 95.69 (provisional) against US dollar

"Main indices remain range‑bound, while midcaps have entered a new zone supported by recovering domestic inflows that are offsetting FII selling. This shift reflects expectations of an earnings and valuation reset as prospects for US–Iran peace improve. Although Q1FY27 may be soft, India’s strong macro fundamentals suggest that one weak quarter is unlikely to alter the broader outlook. In the near term, large caps are becoming attractive as they trade below their long‑term premium, and a revival in this segment is likely as FII selling eases based on developments in West Asia,” says Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments Limited.

"Nifty 50 recently witnessed a breakout above the 23800 congestion zone on the daily chart, indicating improving momentum in the index. However, profit booking has been visible during the last two trading sessions following the recent rally. In Wednesday’s session, the index managed to take support near its 20-day SMA, reflecting buying interest at lower levels. On the derivatives front, both call and put writers remained active, with significant call writing at the 24000 strike establishing it as a strong resistance zone, while aggressive put writing at 23900 indicates immediate support. Overall, technical and derivative data suggest a sideways to mildly positive trend for the upcoming sessions. On the levels front, 23800 is likely to act as immediate support, while 24000-24100 remains a strong resistance zone. Positional support for the index is placed at 23650 levels,” says Vatsal Bhuva, Technical Analyst at LKP Securities.

Stock market today: In a volatile to flat trading session, stock markets ended in red. Nifty50 closed the day at 23,907.15, down 7 points or 0.027%. BSE Sensex ended at 75,867.80, down 142 points or 0.19%.

Nifty started on a positive note but remained range-bound during the initial hour of trade. The index later witnessed a breakout from the consolidation zone and surged to an intraday high of 23,983. However, the momentum could not sustain at higher levels, as profit booking emerged, leading the index to pare some of its gains and eventually settle at 23,907.

On the daily chart, Nifty formed a small-bodied candle with a noticeable upper wick, reflecting profit booking at higher levels. A similar upper wick was seen in the previous session as well, highlighting the index’s inability to sustain above higher levels, with the 50-day EMA continuing to act as a stiff resistance zone.

On the sectoral front, Nifty Media ended the day as the top sectoral gainer followed by Nifty Energy. On the other hand, Nifty Capital Market and Nifty Financial Services were the top two sectors to end the day in red. With regards to stocks, TMPV & Hindalco ended up as top two gainers while ONGC and HDFC Bank ended with losses.

The Midcap Index mirrored the movement seen in the benchmark indices. It formed a small-bodied bullish candle with a minor upper wick, signalling some profit booking at higher levels. Despite this, the Midcap Index touched a fresh all-time high and continues to outperform the Nifty Index.

Meanwhile, the Smallcap Index formed an indecision candle on the daily chart. The noticeable upper wicks seen over the last two sessions indicate profit booking emerging at higher levels.

However, the market breadth slightly improved as the advance-decline ratio was tilted in the favour of bulls at day’s close. A total of 284 stocks out of the Nifty 500 universe ended in the green.

Nifty View

Going ahead, the immediate resistance for Nifty is placed in the 24030-24050 zone. Any sustainable move above this zone could result in Nifty extending its pullback towards 24200, followed by 24350 in the short term. On the downside, the immediate support for Nifty is placed in the 23720-23700 zone.

Bank Nifty View

Bank Nifty also moved out of its initial consolidation phase and climbed to an intraday high of 55,222. However, profit booking at elevated levels dragged the index lower, resulting in a close at 54,854, down 0.43%.

On the daily chart, Bank Nifty formed a small-bodied bearish candle with a noticeable upper wick, indicating weakness at higher levels and an inability to sustain gains. Similar to Nifty, Bank Nifty also failed to hold above its 50-day EMA and ended the session below it. Additionally, the RSI has witnessed a mild correction, further indicating the absence of strong momentum.

Going ahead, the immediate resistance for Bank Nifty is placed in the 55200-55300 zone. Any sustainable move above this zone could result in Bank Nifty extending its pullback towards 55700, followed by 56100 in the short term. On the downside, the immediate support for Bank Nifty is placed in the 54400-54300 zone, says Sudeep Shah, Head - Technical and Derivatives Research at SBI Securities.

The frontline indices remain in a sideways range as the volatility index, India VIX continued to decline for the seventh consecutive session.

Coming to Nifty, the zone of 23830-23850 will act as a crucial support for the index while the resistance lies in the zone of 24080-24100.

On the downside, if the index slips below the level of 23830 then the next support is placed in the zone of 23600-23500.

In an event of a surge above 24100, the index can experience an extension of the rally towards 24300.

On the options front, meaningful call writing witnessed across 24000 & 24100 strikes. On the put side, 23900 has a substantial open interest, followed by 23800 strike.

Nifty's Advance Decline Ratio is at 33:17.

Speaking of Sensex levels, support is at 75,800 while resistance is at 76,600.

Shares of private sector banking major HDFC Bank declined as much as 2% on Wednesday, touching an intraday low of Rs 761 after reports indicated that the bank’s Audit Committee had initiated a formal internal vigilance probe into payments amounting to Rs 45 crore.

According to the reports, the payments were allegedly made to the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation just days before former chairman Atanu Chakraborty stepped down from his position on March 18.

The investigation was reportedly ordered after an internal audit of the bank’s marketing division for FY25 flagged the transactions and classified the department’s performance as “unsatisfactory.”

"With S&P 500, Nasdaq and Nikkei setting new records and KOSPI and Taiex getting bought on declines the bull rally in these markets is showing no signs of losing steam. So long as this trend continues, Indian market will remain on the back foot weighed down by FII selling. The market appears to be ignoring the concentration risk associated with the ongoing AI trade. We don’t know how long this will last and when India will turn attractive to FIIs again. This will certainly happen but the timing is unknown.

There are some positive developments from the Q4 results. Overall the results have turned out to be better-than-expected. Midcaps have outperformed largecaps. A significant trend is that profit growth has outpaced revenue growth. The sluggish revenue growth is indicative of the weak demand conditions in the economy. Fairly-valued financials have good prospects. Segments like pharmaceuticals with inelastic demand and good exports are showing great resilience since this segment will continue to do well even during tough times for the economy,” says VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Limited.

Stock market today: Nifty50 and BSE Sensex opened in red on Wednesday. At 9:16 AM, Nifty50 was trading at 23,908.95, down 5 points or 0.020%. BSE Sensex was at 75,977.62, down 32 points or 0.042%.

"Indian equity markets are expected to open on a flat to mildly negative note, with Gift Nifty trading around 23,901, down by 11 points, indicating subdued opening cues for domestic indices. Global markets remained largely positive amid stable investor sentiment and easing geopolitical concerns, though cautious trading near higher levels may keep domestic markets range-bound during the early part of the session.

The near-term market tone remains cautious but stable, as recent profit booking near higher levels indicates some consolidation after the sharp recovery phase. Despite intermittent weakness, controlled volatility and balanced market breadth suggest that broader sentiment has not deteriorated significantly. Traders are likely to remain focused on key technical zones, while sustained holding above immediate support levels could help the market regain positive momentum,” says Hitesh Tailor, Research Analyst, Choice Equity Broking Private Limited.

Index in the daily chart formed a high wave candle with a small real body and shadows in either direction signaling consolidation amid stock specific action on the monthly expiry sessions after previous two sessions strong up move. Bank Nifty on Monday’s session has generated a breakout above the falling supply line joining the recent highs and the last 9 sessions consolidation range (54,400-52,800) signaling strength. Index sustaining above the Monday’s gap area (54,055-54,590) will keep the bias positive and will open further upside towards 56,000 and 56,600 levels in the coming sessions being the measuring implication of the recent consolidation range.

Index has immediate support at 54,000 levels, failure to hold above 54,000 will signal extension of the consolidation. While major short term support is placed at 53,000-52,500 being the confluence of the lower band of the 8th April bullish gap area and the 61.8% retracement of the previous pullback (22,182-24,601).

Asian markets advanced on Wednesday while oil prices stayed elevated as investors closely monitored whether the fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran would hold.

Brent crude hovered near the $100-per-barrel mark, while the US dollar retained gains from the previous session after Iran accused Washington of breaching the ceasefire agreement. Meanwhile, the New Zealand dollar remained under pressure ahead of an expected pause in interest rates by the country’s central bank.

Japan’s Nikkei index climbed to a record high, tracking fresh all-time highs on Wall Street driven by optimism around artificial intelligence-led growth after US markets reopened following a holiday. However, investor sentiment remained sensitive as negotiations continued over a more durable resolution to the three-month-long conflict that has disrupted global energy markets. Traders are also closely watching comments from central bankers for clues on how the crisis may influence inflation trends and interest rate expectations.

“The markets are now waiting for concrete developments regarding a US-Iran agreement,” said Kyle Rodda. He noted that a significant amount of optimism has already been priced into markets, leaving room for disappointment if a broader agreement fails to materialise.

MSCI’s broad Asia-Pacific index outside Japan rose 1.2%, while Japan’s Nikkei surged 1.8%.

The dollar index, which tracks the US currency against a basket of major peers, remained largely unchanged at 99.09 after gaining 0.15% in the previous session. The euro edged up 0.09% to $1.1638, while the Japanese yen strengthened 0.05% to 159.19 per dollar.

A gradual up-move in domestic markets could continue if crude oil prices remain soft and concerns surrounding global energy supplies continue to ease. However, investor sentiment is likely to remain cautious as mixed signals emerging from the ongoing US-Iran negotiations, along with recent US strikes on Iran, continue to keep geopolitical risks elevated across global financial markets. Concerns over prolonged supply disruptions and delays in normalising shipping flows through the Strait of Hormuz IS keeping energy markets highly sensitive to every geopolitical development.

On Tuesday, the Nifty remained volatile throughout the session and slipped below the 24,000 mark to close at 23,913 (-0.5%) amid monthly F&O expiry, profit booking at higher levels and mixed global cues. However, weakness in the benchmark index was partially cushioned by strength in metal and auto stocks. Notably, FIIs turned net buyers on Monday after sustained selling in recent sessions, providing some support to overall market sentiment. Broader markets continued to outperform, with the Midcap100 and Smallcap100 indices gaining 0.6% and 0.4%, respectively. Despite volatility in frontline indices, the Nifty Midcap100 index surged to a fresh all-time high of 62,365, supported growth-oriented stocks such as Adani Total Gas, Exide Industries, Naukri, KPIT and JSW Energy. The resilience in broader markets despite prevailing global uncertainties reflects sustained domestic liquidity participation. Sectorally, Nifty metals outperformed during the session, while Consumer Durables and Private Banks emerged among the top laggards.

Meanwhile, elevated crude oil prices over the past two weeks have led to multiple hikes in petrol, diesel and CNG prices, with petrol and diesel prices cumulatively increasing by nearly Rs 8–10/litre in several cities, while CNG prices in Delhi have risen to around Rs 83/kg after successive Rs 2/kg hikes. The sustained rise in fuel prices has increased transportation and operating costs across industries and intensified concerns around imported inflation.

Fuel-intensive sectors such as aviation, paints, chemicals, logistics and cement are expected to remain under pressure due to rising input costs, while oil marketing companies may continue to face margin pressure if crude oil prices remain elevated. Overall, markets continue to remain resilient despite elevated global uncertainty, supported by strong domestic liquidity and selective buying in broader markets. However, persistent geopolitical tensions in West Asia, inflationary concerns and mixed signals from the ongoing US-Iran negotiations are likely to keep investor sentiment cautious and market volatility elevated in the near term, says Siddhartha Khemka - Head of Research, Wealth Management, Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd.

On 26th May 2026, the BSE Sensex closed at 76,009.70, declining by -479.26 points (-0.63%), as profit booking emerged after the recent sharp upside rally. The index opened lower by around 265 points at 76,224.14 and initially witnessed upside momentum, touching an intraday high of 76,627.04 during early trade. However, the market failed to sustain at higher levels, and selling pressure gradually intensified through the session. The Sensex slipped lower to make an intraday low of 75,909.68 and finally settled near the day’s low at 76,009.70, indicating cautious sentiment and profit booking at higher levels.

Sector-wise, Capital Goods, Metal, Utilities, Power, Commodities, Telecommunication, and Focused IT witnessed selective buying interest and managed to outperform during the session. On the other hand, Consumer Durables, Top 10 Banks, Financial Services, Hospitals, Realty, PSU Banks, and Private Banks witnessed weakness and profit booking. Banking indices traded under pressure, while FMCG, Auto, and IT sectors remained relatively range-bound with limited directional movement.

Technically, Sensex faced resistance near the 76,600–76,700 zone and witnessed profit booking from higher levels, indicating that traders remain cautious near resistance areas. The index closed near the day’s low, reflecting weak short-term sentiment and lack of follow-up buying at higher levels. Immediate support is now placed around 75,400–75,700, while resistance is seen near 76,700–77,000. Sustaining above the support zone may keep the broader structure stable, whereas a decisive breakout above resistance could revive fresh bullish momentum in the coming sessions.

The overall market bias remains cautiously positive as the index continues to hold above important support levels despite profit booking at higher zones. However, closing near the day’s low suggests that traders may remain selective and cautious in the near term. As long as Sensex sustains above the 75,400–75,700 support range, the broader undertone may remain stable with stock-specific trading opportunities, says Hitesh Tailor, Technical Research Analyst at Choice Equity Broking Private Limited.

Index in the daily chart formed a bearish candlestick pattern signaling lack of follow through buying to previous sessions strong up move, as the index gave up some of its Monday’s gains and closed below the 50 days EMA. Nifty on Monday’s session has generated a breakout above the last 9 sessions trading range of 23,200-23,850. Index is currently seen testing the upper band of the breakout area. Going ahead, index sustaining above the Monday’s gap area (23,835-23,922) will keep the bias positive and will open further upside towards 24,200-24,300 levels in the coming sessions being the trendline resistance joining the highs of April & May 2026. Index has immediate support at 23,600 levels, failure to hold above 23,600 will signal extension of the consolidation. While major short term support is placed at 23,200-23,000 being the confluence of the lower band of the 8th April bullish gap area and the 61.8% retracement of the previous pullback (22,182-24,601).