Nifty, Sensex Fall as Reliance and Infosys Drag; Eternal, AGI Greenpac Rally Post Q1 Results

Market Update at 4:00 PM: On Tuesday, July 22, 2025, Indian benchmark indices ended the session in negative territory, weighed down by Large-Cap heavyweights Reliance Industries and Infosys. The Nifty 50 closed at 25,060.90, down 29.80 points or 0.12 per cent, while the BSE Sensex slipped 13.53 points or 0.02 per cent to settle at 82,186.81.

Broader indices mirrored the weakness, with the Nifty Mid-Cap 100 declining 0.61 per cent and the Small-Cap 100 falling 0.34 per cent. Market breadth was negative, as 1,275 stocks advanced, 1,672 declined, and 85 remained unchanged out of 3,032 traded on the NSE. A total of 74 stocks touched their 52-week highs, while 24 hit 52-week lows; 81 stocks were locked in upper circuits, and 41 in lower circuits.

Among the 11 major sectoral indices, only the Nifty Financial Services index managed to close in positive territory, gaining 0.01 per cent, led by ICICI Bank and HDFC Life. On the downside, the Nifty Media index fell 2.27 per cent, dragged by a 5.68 per cent drop in Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd.

Eternal, the parent of Zomato, surged over 10 per cent following its Quarterly Results. AGI Greenpac jumped 15 per cent after a 41 per cent year-on-year rise in Q1 profits. Afcons Infrastructure rallied 4 per cent after emerging as the lowest bidder for a Rs 6,800-crore railway project in Croatia. MCX and BSE gained up to 2 per cent as Sebi conditionally lifted the trading ban on Jane Street. Meanwhile, Oberoi Realty declined 3 per cent after Q1 profit fell 28 per cent year-on-year and margins contracted.

ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, and Titan contributed 15.22 points, 8.12 points, and 4.61 points respectively to Nifty gains. Reliance Industries (-15.3 points), Infosys (-13.76 points), and Larsen & Toubro (-12.95 points) were the major drags.

Investor sentiment was cautious, with most mid-cap and small-cap stocks declining. The trading session highlighted the impact of quarterly earnings and key project wins, which continue to drive significant price movements across sectors.

Market Update at 12:15 PM: Indian stock markets were largely steady as investors focused on stock-specific moves during the announcement of Q1FY26 earnings. By midday, the BSE Sensex stood at 82,162.16, down 38.18 points or 0.05 per cent, while the NSE Nifty50 was at 25,083.40, slipping 7.60 points or 0.03 per cent.

Eternal shares led the gains with a 15 per cent rise, followed by Trent, Tata Steel, Bharat Electronics, ICICI Bank, Titan, and Tech Mahindra. On the losing side, UltraTech Cement, Bajaj Finserv, Tata Motors, L&T, Reliance Industries, Sun Pharma, and SBI fell up to 1.8 per cent.

Broader indices were also under pressure, with the Nifty MidCap declining 0.37 per cent and the Nifty SmallCap easing 0.09 per cent. Among sectoral indices, the Nifty Auto, Media, Pharma, and Realty indices fell between 0.8 and 1.03 per cent, while the Nifty IT index edged up 0.13 per cent.

In active trades, Eternal (Zomato) hit the 10 per cent upper circuit after its quick-commerce arm, Blinkit, posted a 140 per cent year-on-year growth in gross order value and a 50-basis-point quarter-on-quarter improvement in adjusted EBITDA margin. Despite a 90 per cent fall in net profit to ₹25 crore, the parent company reported over 70 per cent growth in revenue from operations to ₹7,167 crore in Q1FY26.

Market Update at 10:30 AM: Indian equity markets started Tuesday’s session higher, supported by a post-results rally in Eternal and gains in financials after strong quarterly numbers from top private banks.

At 9:15 a.m. IST, the Nifty 50 advanced 0.3 per cent to 25,166.65, while the BSE Sensex rose 0.4 per cent to 82,527.43. Eleven of the 13 major sectoral indices were in the green. The broader Nifty Smallcap gained 0.4 per cent and the Nifty Midcap added 0.3 per cent.

Financial stocks, which had climbed 1.6 per cent on Monday, rose about 0.5 per cent in early trade, driven by upbeat June-quarter results from HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank. Zomato’s parent company Eternal surged 10 per cent, adding to the previous session’s 5.6 per cent rise after reporting a revenue jump of more than 70 per cent in the quarter.

Pre-Market Update at 7:45 AM: Indian equity benchmarks are set to begin Tuesday, July 22, 2025, on a positive note, following Wall Street’s overnight rally that pushed the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite to record highs. As of 7:10 AM, the GIFT Nifty traded near 25,182, up 92 points from its previous close, indicating a possible gap-up opening for the Nifty 50 and Sensex.

Asian markets also advanced on Tuesday, mirroring the U.S. market performance as investors evaluated strong quarterly results while tracking ongoing trade and tariff developments. Market attention remains focused on the Q1 FY26 earnings of Indian Railway Finance Corporation, Dixon Technologies, JSW Infrastructure, Colgate Palmolive (India), One 97 Communications, and United Breweries, scheduled for release later today. Additionally, investors are expected to react to Eternal’s Q1 earnings announced post-market on Monday.

On Monday, July 21, the Sensex and Nifty 50 snapped a two-day losing streak, supported by strong buying in banking heavyweights such as HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank. The Sensex gained 443 points, or 0.54 per cent, to close at 82,200.34, while the Nifty 50 added 122 points, or 0.49 per cent, settling at 25,090.70. Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) were net sellers, offloading shares worth Rs 374.74 crore, whereas Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) bought equities worth Rs 1,681.23 crore.

Internationally, the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 18.66 points, or 0.04 per cent, to 44,323.53, but the S&P 500 climbed 8.89 points, or 0.14 per cent, to close at 6,305.68. The Nasdaq Composite advanced 78.52 points, or 0.38 per cent, to finish at 20,974.18. Gains were driven by tech giants, including Alphabet, amid optimism for upcoming earnings and expectations of favourable trade agreements.

Domestically, India’s eight core infrastructure industries posted a 1.7 per cent growth in June 2025, slightly above May’s 1.2 per cent but significantly lower than the 5 per cent recorded in the same month last year. Meanwhile, discussions continue on a proposed India-U.S. bilateral trade agreement, with a delegation of U.S. trade officials expected to visit India in August.

In commodities, crude oil prices eased due to concerns that prolonged U.S.-EU trade tensions may weigh on fuel demand. The U.S. dollar held steady within a narrow range ahead of the August 1 tariff negotiation deadline. Gold prices reached their highest levels since June 17, with spot gold steady at USD 3,390.73 per ounce and U.S. gold futures unchanged at USD 3,404.20, supported by a weaker dollar and falling Treasury yields.

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

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