Sensex Gains 318 Points, Nifty 50 Rises 100 Points; Pharma and Healthcare Lead Sectoral Rally

Market Update at 02:20 PM: The benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty 50 recovered from their morning lows to trade with modest gains on October 26. As of 2:10 PM, the BSE Sensex stood at 73,441, up 318 points or 0.43 per cent. Meanwhile, the Nifty 50 traded at 22,697, gaining 100 points or 0.44 per cent.

Sectorally, the Nifty Pharma and Nifty Healthcare indices were the top performers, rising more than 1 per cent each, followed by the Nifty Metal index. On the other hand, the Nifty PSU Bank and Nifty FMCG indices recorded the steepest declines.

The broader market indices also recovered from their morning lows and traded in positive territory. The Nifty Midcap 100 gained 0.38 per cent, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 advanced 0.54 per cent, reflecting buying interest across the broader market.

Among the Nifty 50 constituents, Dr Reddy's Laboratories, BSE, Kotak Mahindra Bank, JSW Steel and Adani Ports were the Top Gainers. Conversely, Shriram Finance, Tata Consumer Products, HDFC Life Insurance, Asian Paints and Bajaj Finance were the Top Losers.

Market Update at 12:10 PM: The benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty 50 recovered from their morning lows but failed to sustain the gains. As of 11:40 AM, the BSE Sensex was trading 166.86 points, or 0.23 per cent, lower at 72,956.97. Similarly, the Nifty 50 declined 58 points, or 0.26 per cent, to trade at 22,541.

Sectorally, the Nifty Pharma and Nifty Metal indices traded in positive territory, while the Nifty PSU Bank and Nifty FMCG indices were the top losers. The broader market indices recovered from their morning lows and traded flat.

Among the Nifty 50 constituents, BSE emerged as the top mover, rising 4 per cent. Dr Reddy's, JSW Steel and Adani Ports followed, with each stock gaining between 2 per cent and 3.5 per cent.

Market Update at 09:30 AM: Indian benchmark indices Nifty 50 and Sensex began Monday’s trading session on a weak note, facing selling pressure in early trade. The Nifty 50 fell 0.33 per cent at the open to 22,524.40, while the Sensex declined 0.18 per cent to 72,990.04.

Sectorally, most indices on the NSE were trading in negative territory, with Nifty IT and Nifty PSU Bank emerging as the top laggards. Broader market indices also witnessed selling pressure, with the Nifty Mid-Cap 100 falling 0.81 per cent and the Nifty Small-Cap index declining 0.91 per cent.

Among stock-specific movements, Swiggy, Sundaram Finance, NHPC, Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders and L&T Finance touched their respective 52-week lows during morning trade. Meanwhile, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, Kotak Mahindra Bank and JSW Steel emerged as the top gainers in the Nifty 50 on Monday.

Pre-Market Update at 7:40 AM: GIFT Nifty indicated a muted opening for domestic equities, trading at 22,583.5 at 6:58 AM IST on October 26, 2026. The indicator was 16.5 points, or 0.07 per cent, below the previous Nifty 50 close of 22,600.

The cautious opening indication follows a weak close for Indian benchmarks on Friday, while U.S. markets also ended lower. Investors are likely to track Q2 FY27 earnings, crude oil prices amid West Asia tensions and the U.S. Federal Reserve meeting scheduled for October 27-28.

The September-quarter earnings calendar remains a key domestic driver, with Tata Consumer Products, ITC Hotels, Paytm, Aavas Financiers, Aegis Logistics, Ather Energy, Mankind Pharma, REC and Sona BLW Precision Forgings among the companies scheduled to announce results on October 26. Corporate commentary on demand, margins and business outlook could influence stock-specific movements across FMCG, financials, consumer internet, energy and automobile sectors.

West Asia tensions and energy-supply concerns remain important for domestic markets, particularly because India is a major crude oil importer. Sustained high oil prices can increase the import bill, add to inflation risks, pressure the rupee and raise input costs for companies. Oil marketing companies, airlines, paints, chemicals, logistics and other energy-intensive businesses could remain in focus, while upstream oil producers may also attract attention.

The U.S. Federal Reserve's policy meeting on October 27-28 will be closely watched for its assesSMEnt of interest rates, inflation and liquidity conditions. The policy decision and accompanying commentary could influence U.S. Treasury yields, the dollar and foreign-investor flows towards emerging markets. Rate-sensitive sectors, including banks, NBFCs, IT, metals and stocks with significant foreign portfolio investor ownership, may remain on the radar ahead of the meeting.

India's September industrial-production data is scheduled for release on October 28. The data will provide an updated assessment of manufacturing and industrial activity, with implications for capital goods, infrastructure, cement, metals and other cyclical sectors. Jio Platforms is also scheduled to list on stock exchanges on October 28. The proposed debut is among the week's major primary-market events and may draw attention towards Reliance-group stocks, telecom companies and digital-platform valuations.

U.S. equities closed lower in the previous session, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average declining 1.23 per cent to 52,215.16. The S&P 500 fell 0.52 per cent to 7,623.68, while the Nasdaq slipped 0.21 per cent to 25,955.34.

Asian markets presented a mixed picture in early trade. Japan's Nikkei was down 0.44 per cent at 62,415.99, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.69 per cent to 23,093.37. China's Shanghai Composite rose 0.89 per cent to 3,690.48. European markets had ended lower in the previous session, with Germany's DAX declining 0.75 per cent, the FTSE 100 falling 0.32 per cent and France's CAC 40 losing 0.36 per cent.

Brent crude traded at USD 110.15 per barrel as of 7:00 AM IST on October 26, down 6.17 per cent. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was at USD 102.99 per barrel, lower by 1.81 per cent. Despite the latest decline, elevated crude prices remain relevant for India's macroeconomic outlook because of the country's dependence on oil imports. Further price movements and developments in West Asia could influence inflation expectations, the rupee and input-cost-sensitive sectors.

Gold was trading at USD 3,988.94, down 0.16 per cent, while silver was largely unchanged at USD 53.84, up 0.02 per cent. The Dollar Index eased 0.19 per cent to 101.61. The rupee was trading around Rs 94.93 per U.S. dollar. The U.S. 10-year Treasury yield declined by 0.027 percentage points to 4.974 per cent, a level that remains relevant for global risk appetite and equity valuations.

Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) were net buyers of Indian equities worth Rs 887.65 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) recorded net purchases of Rs 3,235.36 crore. Domestic institutional buying came even as foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) withdrew Rs 48,056 crore from Indian equities so far in October, according to the available market data. Cumulative FPI equity outflows in 2026 stand at Rs 3.08 lakh crore.

In the previous session, the Nifty 50 declined 87.65 points, or 0.39 per cent, to close at 22,600. During the session, the index moved between a high of 22,787.25 and a low of 22,372. The Sensex fell 125.56 points, or 0.17 per cent, to close at 73,123.83, after touching an Intraday high of 73,766.51 and a low of 72,452.37. India VIX rose 6.98 per cent to 16.86, indicating higher expected volatility and increased uncertainty, although the index does not indicate market direction on its own.

Among stocks to watch, Infosys reported a 6.2 per cent year-on-year (YoY) increase in consolidated profit to Rs 7,823 crore for Q2 FY27, while revenue rose 10.7 per cent to Rs 49,244 crore. Dollar revenue increased 1.3 per cent to USD 5.145 billion, and the EBIT margin remained steady at 21 per cent. The company retained its FY27 constant-currency revenue-growth guidance of 1-2 per cent and operating-margin guidance of 20-22 per cent. Its demand outlook and margin commentary are likely to be tracked by the IT sector.

Kotak Mahindra Bank reported a 29.5 per cent YoY increase in standalone profit to Rs 4,212 crore in Q2 FY27. Net interest income (NII) rose 15.7 per cent to Rs 8,459 crore, while operating profit increased 21.1 per cent to Rs 6,382.2 crore. Gross non-performing assets (NPAs) improved to 1.04 per cent from 1.18 per cent quarter-on-quarter (QoQ), while net NPAs declined to 0.24 per cent from 0.27 per cent. Lower provisions and improving asset quality are key aspects of the results.

Dr. Reddy's Laboratories reported a 36 per cent YoY decline in consolidated profit to Rs 913.4 crore for Q2 FY27. Revenue slipped 1.5 per cent to Rs 8,670.8 crore, placing the pharmaceutical company in focus following its weaker quarterly performance.

IndusInd Bank returned to profitability in Q2 FY27, reporting standalone profit of Rs 1,176.1 crore against a loss of Rs 444.8 crore a year earlier. NII rose 3.6 per cent to Rs 4,569.5 crore, while provisions fell 53.6 per cent to Rs 1,216.2 crore. Gross NPAs improved to 2.73 per cent from 3.25 per cent QoQ, while net NPAs declined to 0.83 per cent from 0.95 per cent. Investors will assess the asset-quality trend and lower provisioning.

Bank of India posted a 25.4 per cent YoY increase in standalone profit to Rs 3,202.4 crore. NII rose 18.5 per cent to Rs 7,007.2 crore, while operating profit increased 33.2 per cent to Rs 5,089 crore. Gross NPAs declined to 1.60 per cent from 1.81 per cent QoQ, and net NPAs improved to 0.42 per cent from 0.51 per cent. However, provisions increased 80.7 per cent to Rs 797.4 crore.

Coforge reported a 56.5 per cent YoY increase in consolidated profit to Rs 588.1 crore for Q2 FY27. Revenue rose 53.6 per cent to Rs 6,170.8 crore, keeping the company in focus alongside broader IT-services earnings.

KEC International secured turnkey transmission and distribution orders worth Rs 2,872 crore from Power Grid Corporation of India. The orders involve the design, supply and installation of 765 kV transmission lines, adding to the company's domestic power-transmission Order Book.

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

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