Nifty 50 Reclaims 24,000 Mark as Auto Stocks Surge; IT Stocks Drag

Market Update at 04:00 PM: Indian equity markets ended the session on a positive note on Wednesday, July 1, with the Nifty 50 reclaiming the 24,000 level after a two-day losing streak. Gains in auto stocks, backed by strong June sales data, lifted overall sentiment, although weakness in IT stocks and global geopolitical concerns capped upside.

The Nifty 50 closed at 24,005.85, up 0.59 per cent, while the Sensex rose 140.10 points or 0.58 per cent to finish at 76,922.64. The Bank Nifty also gained 0.85 per cent, while India VIX slipped 2.6 per cent, indicating relatively stable market volatility. The index touched an Intraday high of 24,049.90 after opening 30 points higher.

Sectorally, auto stocks emerged as the strongest performers, with the Nifty Auto index surging 3.58 per cent. The rally was supported by robust June sales across major manufacturers. Maruti Suzuki India reported a 19.3 per cent rise in total sales to 2,00,390 units, while Tata Motors’ passenger vehicle sales jumped 69 per cent to 63,083 units. Mahindra & Mahindra posted a 37 per cent growth in total sales to 1,06,207 units, and JSW MG Motor India recorded a 30 per cent increase to 7,568 units. Hyundai Motor India, however, reported a 15 per cent decline in sales due to supplier-related disruptions. Škoda Auto India also reported its strongest-ever first-half performance in India, further boosting sentiment in the auto space.

In contrast, the Nifty IT index declined 2.01 per cent, emerging as the top sectoral laggard. Concerns over potential U.S. rate hikes and their impact on technology spending weighed on the sector.

India’s Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections for June 2026 rose 13.9 per cent year-on-year to Rs 1.95 lakh crore, moving close to the Rs 2 lakh crore milestone. Growth was primarily driven by a sharp rise in import-related revenues. Gross domestic GST revenue increased 6.5 per cent to Rs 1.34 lakh crore, while import GST surged 34.6 per cent to Rs 60,038 crore. After refunds, net GST revenue stood at Rs 1.62 lakh crore, up 11.2 per cent, while total refunds rose 29.1 per cent to Rs 32,436 crore. For Q1 FY27, total GST collections reached Rs 6.32 lakh crore, reflecting steady growth of 8.4 per cent. Several states, including Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Punjab, and Gujarat, reported strong gains, while Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh saw declines.

Brent crude oil prices hovered around USD 73 per barrel, remaining below the April peak of USD 126.14. Prices saw support from renewed uncertainty in U.S.–Iran negotiations, though global supply expectations kept gains limited.

Broader indices ended with mixed performance. The Nifty Midcap 100 rose 0.34 per cent, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 gained 0.36 per cent. Out of 11 key sectoral indices, 8 closed in the green. Market breadth remained positive, with 1,852 stocks advancing, 1,473 declining, and 100 unchanged out of 3,425 traded on the NSE. Additionally, 137 stocks hit 52-week highs, while 54 touched 52-week lows. Around 119 stocks were locked in Upper Circuits and 84 in Lower Circuits.

KPIT Technologies fell sharply by 15.2 per cent after issuing a profit warning for the June quarter and indicating weakness in dollar revenue for the coming fiscal period. Ola Electric Mobility shares jumped sharply after reporting nearly doubled vehicle registrations in Q1 FY26, indicating strong demand momentum.

Key contributors to index gains included Eternal, Reliance Industries, and State Bank of India, which supported overall upside. On the downside, Larsen & Toubro, Infosys, and Tata Consultancy Services were among the major drags on the index.

While strong auto sector performance and robust GST collections supported sentiment, concerns over global geopolitical tensions, IT sector weakness, and uncertain monsoon forecasts continued to weigh on broader market confidence.

Market Update at 2:35 PM: Indian benchmark indices extended their gains in afternoon trade on Wednesday, supported by buying in auto, FMCG, and realty stocks. Investor sentiment remained cautious as market participants continued to monitor the ongoing tensions between the U.S. and Iran.

As of 2:30 PM, the Nifty 50 was trading 165.25 points, or 0.69 per cent, higher at 24,031.00. The Sensex advanced 546.32 points, or 0.71 per cent, to 77,024.99.

Among the Nifty 50 constituents, Eternal, Hindustan Unilever, and Nestle India emerged as the Top Gainers, contributing to the benchmark's upward momentum.

The broader market also traded in positive territory. The Nifty MidCap index was up 0.22 per cent, while the Nifty SmallCap index gained 0.23 per cent.

On the sectoral front, the Nifty FMCG, Nifty Auto, and Nifty Media indices outperformed the broader market. In contrast, the Nifty Metal index was the biggest laggard during the session.

Market Update at 12:19 PM: The Indian benchmark indices traded firmly higher in noon deals on Tuesday, supported by buying in auto, FMCG and realty stocks. Investor sentiment remained positive even as market participants continued to monitor geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and Iran.

At around 12:00 PM, the Nifty 50 was trading at 24,026.35, up 160.60 points or 0.67 per cent. The Sensex gained 559.95 points, or 0.73 per cent, to trade at 77,038.62.

Among the Nifty 50 constituents, Mahindra & Mahindra, Titan Company, and Eternal emerged as the top gainers, contributing to the market's upward momentum.

The broader market also remained in positive territory. The Nifty MidCap index advanced 0.42 per cent, while the Nifty SmallCap index gained 0.50 per cent, indicating broad-based buying across segments.

On the sectoral front, the Nifty FMCG, Nifty Auto, and Nifty Media indices outperformed the broader market. In contrast, the Nifty Metal index was the biggest laggard during the session.

Market Update at 09:30 AM: Indian equity markets opened on a subdued yet positive note on Wednesday, with benchmark indices moving higher as investors closely tracked escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran.

As of 9:18 AM, the Nifty 50 was up 0.26 per cent, gaining 62.80 points to trade at 23,928.55, while the Sensex advanced 199.11 points or 0.26 per cent to 76,677.78.

Broader markets outperformed the frontline indices, reflecting stronger participation from mid- and Small-Cap segments. The Nifty MidCap index rose 0.38 per cent, whereas the Nifty SmallCap index gained 0.78 per cent in early trade.

On the sectoral front, buying interest was visible in select pockets. The Nifty Consumer Durables and Nifty Media indices led the gains, while the Nifty Metal index emerged as the top laggard, indicating pressure in metal stocks amid mixed global cues.

Overall, market sentiment remained cautiously optimistic, with investors balancing domestic strength against geopolitical concerns and global uncertainty.

Pre-Market Update at 7:46 AM: Indian equity markets are expected to open on a flat note on Wednesday, with mixed global cues influencing sentiment. Asian markets traded unevenly in early deals, while U.S. equities extended gains overnight, supported by sustained buying across major indices.

The GIFT Nifty was trading near 23,976 at around 7:32 am, showing a discount of nearly 28 points versus Nifty futures’ previous close, but still indicating a mild positive start when compared with the Nifty 50’s prior close. This suggests early consolidation with a slightly positive bias for Indian markets.

The first trading session of July brings seasonal optimism for traders. Historical data since 2009 shows that the Nifty 50 has delivered an average return of around 2.22 per cent in July, making it one of the stronger months for the index. The index has closed in the green nearly 70.6 per cent of the time during July sessions. It also recorded a five-year winning streak from 2020 to 2024 before ending last year with a decline of 2.93 per cent.

The Nifty 50 has fallen 8.5 per cent in H1CY26, marking its weakest January–June performance since 2020. Despite the weakness in Large-Cap indices, broader markets showed resilience, with around 27 small-cap stocks more than doubling investor wealth during the same period. However, key large-cap names such as Infosys, ITC, and HDFC Bank underperformed, while BHEL and Hitachi Energy India continued strong multi-year uptrends.

Investor sentiment remains sensitive to geopolitical developments. Although the U.S. and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding on June 17 to ease ongoing conflict, renewed tensions over the weekend have raised doubts about progress. Reports also suggest limited high-level engagement between U.S. and Iranian officials in Doha.

The Japanese yen weakened to a 40-year low, hitting 162.28 per U.S. dollar, intensifying speculation about possible intervention by Japanese authorities as currency volatility rises globally.

Gold remained firm above USD 4,000 per ounce, with spot prices at USD 4,013.75. Silver gained 1.2 per cent to USD 58.98 per ounce. Despite geopolitical tensions, gold has declined around 24 per cent since the Iran conflict began in late February, breaking below key technical levels.

Oil prices edged higher on renewed geopolitical concerns. Brent crude rose 0.69 per cent to USD 73.45 per barrel, while WTI gained 0.91 per cent to USD 70.13 per barrel after reports suggested stalled U.S.–Iran talks.

The U.S. dollar strengthened further, pushing the yen to its weakest level since 1986. The dollar index gains were supported by expectations of additional Federal Reserve tightening, strong economic data, and inflation resilience.

Put-Call Ratio (PCR) stood at 0.88, with strong put open interest at the 23,400 strike and strong call open interest at the 24,000 strike. Options data suggests a key range between 23,400 and 24,000, with resistance pressure building near the upper end.

The Nifty 50 has seen two consecutive sessions of decline, indicating profit booking and mild loss of momentum, but it continues to trade above its 20-day and 50-day exponential moving averages, keeping the broader trend intact. Key support is placed at 23,800, while resistance is seen in the 24,200–24,500 range. A sustained break below 23,800 may trigger a decline toward 23,700–23,650 levels, while holding above this zone may lead to consolidation with a positive bias.

No stocks are under the F&O ban for July 1.

On June 30, FIIs were net sellers at Rs 2,556.75 crore while DIIs were net buyers at Rs 6,842.34 crore, indicating continued domestic support in the market.

On Tuesday, Indian equities ended lower with Sensex falling 249.70 points (0.33 per cent) to 76,478.67 and Nifty 50 declining 80.50 points (0.34 per cent) to 23,865.75.

U.S. markets closed higher, with Dow Jones rising 0.26 per cent to 52,319.20, S&P 500 gaining 0.79 per cent to 7,499.36, and Nasdaq jumping 1.52 per cent to 26,213.72, led by strength in technology stocks.

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

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