Nifty 50 Gains 159 Points, Sensex Jumps 540 Points; Nifty Auto Index Tops with 0.85% Rise

Market Update at 4:00 PM: On Wednesday, July 23, Indian benchmark indices closed higher, with the Nifty 50 reclaiming the 25,200 mark and the Sensex gaining over 0.5 per cent. At the closing bell, the Nifty 50 rose by 159 points or 0.63 per cent to end at 25,219.90, while the Sensex jumped by 539.83 points or 0.66 per cent to settle at 82,726.64. Gains were led by ICICI Bank and Bharti Airtel, the top contributors to the index.

Market sentiment was supported by the United States' surprise trade deal with Japan, raising expectations for similar agreements with other trading partners ahead of the August 1 deadline. Sector-wise, 8 of the 11 major indices ended in positive territory. The Nifty Auto index outperformed, gaining 0.85 per cent, with Tata Motors and Samvardhana Motherson International leading the rise. On the downside, the Nifty Realty index fell 2.6 per cent, dragged by Lodha Developers, which slipped 7.51 per cent after a block deal involving a 1 per cent stake.

In stock-specific action, JSW Infrastructure rose 1.42 per cent as Q1 profit surged 31 per cent year-on-year (YoY), and Dixon Technologies jumped 2.76 per cent after its Q1 profit doubled YoY to Rs 280 crore. Paytm gained 1.91 per cent after swinging to a Q1 profit of Rs 122 crore from a YoY loss, while IRFC added 3.12 per cent with an 11 per cent rise in Q1 profit. Lodha Developers hit a two-month low after the block deal.

Broader market indices remained flat to positive, with the Mid-Cap 100 up 0.34 per cent and the Small-Cap 100 almost unchanged. Market breadth tilted negative, with 1,500 advances, 1,462 declines, and 93 unchanged out of 3,055 NSE-listed stocks. Additionally, 71 stocks hit their 52-week highs, 25 touched their 52-week lows, and 79 were locked in upper circuits while 58 were in lower circuits.

Top index pullers included ICICI Bank (+29.29 points), Bharti Airtel (+25.11 points), and HDFC Bank (+21.19 points), while Hindustan Unilever (-7.35 points), Tata Consumer (-3.73 points), and Ultratech Cement (-2.59 points) were among the top draggers.

Market Update at 12:15 PM: On Wednesday, Indian equity markets traded in positive territory, supported by strength in global markets and stock-specific movements during the ongoing Q1FY26 earnings season.

The BSE Sensex rose 217 points, or 0.26 per cent, to 82,403, while the Nifty50 added 63 points, or 0.25 per cent, to trade at 25,124. Tata Motors, Maruti Suzuki, M&M, Bajaj Finance, Adani Ports, Bharti Airtel, Infosys, NTPC, Reliance Industries, and Tata Steel were among the major gainers on the Sensex. Meanwhile, BEL, Trent, HUL, ITC, Tech Mahindra, and Asian Paints saw declines.

In the broader market space, the Nifty MidCap index slipped 0.23 per cent, while the Nifty SmallCap index was down 0.44 per cent. Sector-wise, the Nifty Auto index gained 0.78 per cent, followed by Nifty IT, up 0.24 per cent, and Nifty Metal, up 0.26 per cent. On the other hand, the Nifty Realty index fell 2.72 per cent.

Market Update at 10:30 AM: India’s equity benchmarks gained on Wednesday, mirroring strength in Asian markets after the U.S. finalized a trade agreement with Japan, raising optimism for more global trade pacts.

Upside momentum was limited by lingering uncertainty around a potential India-U.S. interim trade agreement, with talks stuck on tariff reductions for farm and dairy products ahead of Washington’s August 1 deadline.

By 9:51 a.m. IST, the Nifty 50 was up 0.18 per cent at 25,106.4 points, and the BSE Sensex had advanced 0.20 per cent to 82,346.31. Out of the 16 key sectoral indices, 13 registered gains, while broader small-cap and mid-cap indices slipped about 0.3 per cent each.

Japanese stocks led the advance in Asian markets, with MSCI’s Asia-Pacific index excluding Japan climbing 0.7 per cent.

India is also expected to sign a free trade pact with the UK during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit on Thursday, which could enhance bilateral trade ties.

In stock-specific moves, Colgate-Palmolive India slipped 2.1 per cent after reporting a profit decline due to higher competition and subdued urban demand. Jana Small Finance Bank dropped 6.1 per cent following weaker earnings and an increase in gross NPAs, while Dixon Technologies gained 2 per cent after posting higher June-quarter profits.

Pre-Market Update at 7:45 AM: On Wednesday, July 23, the Nifty 50 and Sensex are expected to open higher, extending previous gains after a U.S.-Japan trade deal announcement. As of 7:20 AM, the GIFT Nifty was trading near 25,163, up 79 points from its previous close, signalling a positive start for Indian benchmarks.

Asian markets opened on a firm note as U.S. President Donald Trump announced a “massive deal” with Japan, including a 15 per cent tariff on Japanese exports to the U.S. Wall Street closed mixed on Tuesday, with the S&P 500 up 0.06 per cent at 6,309.62 points, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gaining 0.40 per cent at 44,502.44 points, and the Nasdaq declining 0.39 per cent to 20,892.69 points.

Indian markets on Tuesday closed nearly flat. The Nifty 50 slipped 0.12 per cent to 25,060.9, while the BSE Sensex ended marginally lower by 0.02 per cent at 82,186.81. Gains in Eternal following its Quarterly Results were offset by losses in Reliance Industries amid concerns over an India-U.S. trade agreement before the August 1 deadline.

Market focus today will be on Q1 FY26 earnings from Paytm and IRFC, which were declared post-market on Tuesday. Investors are also awaiting results from Infosys, Tata Consumer Products, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, Bajaj Housing Finance, SRF, Persistent Systems, Oracle Financial Services Software, Coforge, Syngene International, Aditya Birla Real Estate, Force Motors, Bikaji Foods International, Maharashtra Scooters, PCBL Chemical, Supreme Petrochem and Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra).

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) were net sellers on July 22, offloading equities worth Rs 3,548.92 crore, while Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) were net buyers, investing Rs 5,239.77 crore.

In commodities, gold touched a five-week high, holding at USD 3,430.19 per ounce, supported by a weaker dollar and lower U.S. Treasury yields. Brent crude rose 0.54 per cent to USD 68.96 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures fell 1.47 per cent to USD 66.21.

In currency markets, the U.S. dollar remained weak against the yen at 146.61. The euro traded at USD 1.1739, and the British pound was steady at USD 1.35235.

For today, Bandhan Bank, IEX and RBL Bank remain on the F&O ban list.

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