Closing Bell: Sensex, Nifty 50 End Marginally Higher on May 13; Metal Stocks Shine, Crude Oil Above $105 Caps Gains

Market Update at 04:00 PM: Indian equity benchmark indices ended marginally higher on Wednesday, May 13, supported by gains in private Banking and metal stocks. However, elevated crude oil prices amid ongoing Middle East tensions limited the upside for the domestic market.

The Nifty 50 opened on a flat note and witnessed sharp Intraday volatility throughout the trading session. The benchmark index slipped to an intraday low of 23,262.55 in early trade before recovering strongly to touch the day’s high of 23,582.95. However, profit booking at higher levels erased most of the gains by the close.

The Nifty 50 eventually settled above the 23,400 mark at 23,412.60, rising 33.05 points, or 0.14 per cent, after witnessing losses for four consecutive sessions. The Sensex also closed in positive territory, gaining 49.73 points, or 0.07 per cent, to end at 74,608.98. Meanwhile, the India VIX index remained largely steady.

Brent crude declined 1.4 per cent to USD 106.32 per barrel, snapping a three-day rally. Oil prices have continued to trade above the USD 100 mark since late February after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and Tehran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz triggered concerns over global oil supply disruptions.

The Indian rupee weakened against the U.S. dollar and settled at 95.75, pressured by broad-based interbank dollar demand, including payments linked to overseas borrowing repayments.

On the sectoral front, four out of the 11 major sectoral indices ended in the green. Broader markets outperformed the benchmarks, with the Nifty Midcap index rising 0.77 per cent, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 index gained 0.31 per cent.

The Nifty Metal index emerged as the top-performing sector, rallying 3.18 per cent and hitting an all-time high. The index also recorded its biggest intraday gain in the last one year.

On the other hand, the Nifty IT index was the top laggard, declining 1.13 per cent. The index extended losses for the third straight trading session and touched a fresh three-year low.

Among stock-specific movers, shares of jewellers including Titan Company, Kalyan Jewellers and Thangamayil Jewellers declined between 0.5 per cent and 2 per cent.

Vodafone Idea share price surged 7.9 per cent to hit its 52-week high after the telecom operator announced that its board of directors would meet this week to consider fundraising plans.

MTAR Technologies shares rallied 8.24 per cent after the company raised its FY27 guidance. The company also reported a 223 per cent year-on-year jump in its fourth-quarter net profit.

The major contributors to the gains in the Nifty 50 index were Bharti Airtel, which added 21.62 points, Larsen & Toubro, which contributed 15.14 points, and Tata Steel, which added 13.57 points.

Meanwhile, Infosys dragged the index lower by 13.12 points, followed by Mahindra & Mahindra with a decline of 12.46 points and Reliance Industries, which weighed on the index by 7.63 points.

Market breadth on the NSE remained firmly in favour of advancing stocks on May 13, 2026. Out of 3,378 stocks traded, 1,962 stocks advanced, 1,303 declined, while 113 remained unchanged.

A total of 58 stocks touched their 52-week highs during the session, whereas 53 stocks hit their 52-week lows. Additionally, 69 stocks were locked in their Upper Circuits, while 108 stocks were locked in Lower Circuits.

Market Update at 2:29 PM: The Nifty50 and the Sensex surged tracking gains in metal, chemical, oil and gas stocks amid mixed global cues.

The Nifty50 was trading 139.45 points or 0.60 per cent higher at 23,494.70, and the Sensex was trading 280.31 points or 0.38 per cent higher at 74,839.55 as of 2:24 PM.

Cipla, Asian Paints, and Adani Enterprises were the Top Gainers in the Nifty50 index.

In the broader markets, the Nifty MidCap and Nifty SmallCap were trading 1.36 per cent and 0.71 per cent higher, respectively. 

Sector-wise, the Nifty Metal outperformed. Meanwhile, the Nifty PSU Bank and the Nifty Media underperformed.

On the external front, investors await the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, scheduled later today, where trade will be discussed. 

They also assessed Washington’s harsh stance on Iran post Trump’s fragile ceasefire remark to get further cues about the geopolitical tension in West Asia. 

 Brent crude’s May future contract was trading 1.27 per cent down at $106.40 per barrel on the Intercontinental Exchange. 

The Gold and the Silver futures were trading 0.36 per cent and 2.13  per cent higher, respectively.

Market Update at 12:26 PM: Indian equity benchmark indices traded in a narrow range during the opening session on Wednesday amid mixed global market cues and cautious investor sentiment ahead of key geopolitical developments.

The Nifty 50 was trading 34 points, or 0.15 per cent, higher at 23,436.35, while the Sensex gained 138.29 points, or 0.19 per cent, to trade at 74,712.70 in early trade.

Market participants remained focused on the scheduled meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping later in the day, where discussions around trade relations are expected to take centre stage. Investors are closely monitoring the outcome of the talks for further direction on global trade dynamics.

At the same time, geopolitical concerns continued to weigh on sentiment as traders assessed Washington’s strong stance on Iran following Trump’s remarks regarding a fragile ceasefire situation. The developments have kept investors cautious over rising tensions in West Asia and their potential impact on global energy markets.

In the commodities segment, Brent crude oil futures for May delivery declined 0.65 per cent to USD 107.07 per barrel on the Intercontinental Exchange.

Meanwhile, precious metals witnessed buying interest. Gold futures advanced 2.02 per cent, while silver futures rose 0.54 per cent during the session.

Overall, domestic markets remained steady as investors balanced global trade optimism against ongoing geopolitical uncertainties and commodity market volatility.

Market Update at 09:33 AM: Indian equity benchmark indices traded in a narrow range during the opening session on Wednesday amid mixed global market cues and cautious investor sentiment ahead of key geopolitical developments.

The Nifty 50 was trading 34 points, or 0.15 per cent, higher at 23,436.35, while the Sensex gained 138.29 points, or 0.19 per cent, to trade at 74,712.70 in early trade.

Market participants remained focused on the scheduled meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping later in the day, where discussions around trade relations are expected to take centre stage. Investors are closely monitoring the outcome of the talks for further direction on global trade dynamics.

At the same time, geopolitical concerns continued to weigh on sentiment as traders assessed Washington’s strong stance on Iran following Trump’s remarks regarding a fragile ceasefire situation. The developments have kept investors cautious over rising tensions in West Asia and their potential impact on global energy markets.

In the commodities segment, Brent crude oil futures for May delivery declined 0.65 per cent to USD 107.07 per barrel on the Intercontinental Exchange.

Meanwhile, precious metals witnessed buying interest. Gold futures advanced 2.02 per cent, while silver futures rose 0.54 per cent during the session.

Overall, domestic markets remained steady as investors balanced global trade optimism against ongoing geopolitical uncertainties and commodity market volatility.

Pre-Market Update at 7:48 AM: Indian benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty 50 are expected to witness a cautious opening on Wednesday amid mixed global cues and rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Gift Nifty hovered near the 23,468 mark, trading at a premium of around 43 points over the previous close of Nifty futures, indicating a flat-to-positive start for domestic equities.

Asian markets traded lower, while Wall Street ended on a mixed note overnight as investors turned cautious after elevated U.S. inflation data and persistent geopolitical risks.

Escalating tensions in the Middle East remained one of the key concerns for global markets. The ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict intensified amid stalled ceasefire negotiations, increased military activity, and rising security concerns around the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly rejected Iran’s latest proposal, while Israel intensified military operations in Lebanon targeting Hezbollah positions. Kuwait also arrested four individuals allegedly linked to Iran’s IRGC over a suspected sea infiltration attempt. Additionally, a 4.6 magnitude earthquake struck near Tehran, although no casualties were reported.

The geopolitical uncertainty continued to support crude oil prices and raised concerns over disruptions in global energy supplies and shipping routes.

U.S. consumer inflation accelerated in April as rising energy and food prices continued to weigh on the economy. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 0.6 per cent in April after increasing 0.9 per cent in March, in line with market expectations.

On a yearly basis, inflation climbed to 3.8 per cent in April from 3.3 per cent in March, marking the highest annual increase since May 2023. Sticky inflation has strengthened expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve may maintain a cautious policy stance for longer.

Moody’s Ratings lowered India’s GDP growth forecast for 2026 by 0.8 percentage points to 6 per cent. The agency also reduced its 2027 growth estimate by 0.5 percentage points to 6 per cent, citing risks arising from the prolonged U.S.-Iran conflict and continued geopolitical uncertainty.

India’s retail inflation edged higher to 3.48 per cent in April compared to 3.40 per cent in March, mainly due to rising food prices. The inflation data remained within the Reserve Bank of India’s comfort range, although elevated commodity prices continue to remain a concern.

India also increased the effective import tariff on gold and silver to 15 per cent. The basic customs duty on several categories of gold and silver imports was raised to 10 per cent from 5 per cent, while the 5 per cent Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Cess (AIDC) remains unchanged.

MSCI added Adani Energy Solutions, Federal Bank, Indian Bank, Multi Commodity Exchange of India, and National Aluminium Company to its Global Standard Index. Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor India, Jubilant FoodWorks, Kalyan Jewellers, and Rail Vikas Nigam Limited were removed from the index.

Crude oil prices eased marginally after surging nearly 8 per cent over the previous three sessions amid concerns over supply disruptions linked to the Middle East conflict. Brent crude declined 0.96 per cent to USD 106.74 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell 0.70 per cent to USD 101.46 per barrel.

From a derivatives perspective, the Put-Call Ratio (PCR) stood at 0.71, indicating cautious sentiment in the market. On the Put side, significant open interest was concentrated at the 23,000 and 22,800 strike levels, suggesting strong support zones for the index.

On the Call side, major open interest addition was seen at the 24,000 strike, indicating strong resistance. High open interest was also visible at the 23,500 strike in the near out-of-the-money segment.

The Nifty 50 has entered an important support zone between 23,123 and 23,154, which aligns with the 61.8 per cent Fibonacci retracement level, the measured move target of the recent breakdown, and the lower end of the April 8 gap area.

As long as the index sustains above this support region, a technical pullback remains possible. However, a decisive breakdown below 23,123 could trigger further selling pressure. On the upside, immediate resistance is placed at 23,500, while a sustained move above this level may push the index towards 23,800.

Companies scheduled to announce Quarterly Results on May 13 include Cipla, TVS Holdings, TVS Motor Company, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation, Oil India, Balaji Amines, CARE Ratings, Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals, DLF, eClerx Services, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, JSW Dulux, Kaynes Technology India, LIC Housing Finance, Metropolis Healthcare, NLC India, Power Finance Corporation, Sharda Cropchem, Signatureglobal (India), and Tube Investments of India.

SAIL remains under the F&O ban list for May 13.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) remained net sellers on May 12, offloading equities worth Rs 1,959.39 crore. Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs), however, bought shares worth Rs 7,990.32 crore during the session.

Indian equity markets ended Tuesday’s session sharply lower, extending losses for the third consecutive trading day amid broad-based selling pressure. The Sensex plunged 1,312.91 points, or 1.70 per cent, to close at 76,015.28, while the Nifty 50 declined 360.30 points, or 1.49 per cent, to settle at 23,815.85.

U.S. stock markets closed mixed on Tuesday as investors booked profits after hotter-than-expected inflation data. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 56.09 points, or 0.11 per cent, to close at 49,760.56. However, the S&P 500 slipped 11.88 points, or 0.16 per cent, to 7,400.96, while the Nasdaq Composite fell 185.92 points, or 0.71 per cent, to 26,088.20.

Among major technology stocks, Nvidia rose 0.61 per cent and Apple gained 0.72 per cent, while AMD declined 2.29 per cent, Microsoft fell 1.18 per cent, Amazon dropped 1.18 per cent, and Tesla plunged 2.61 per cent.

Gold prices remained steady as investors awaited further developments from the upcoming U.S.-China summit. Spot gold was stable at USD 4,713.39 per ounce, while spot silver gained 1 per cent to USD 87.40 per ounce.

Disclaimer: The article is for informational purposes only and not investment advice.

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