Market Opens on Strong Global Positive Cues; Reliance, HDFC Bank Lead Gains

Mumbai | Monday, October 20, 2025 – Indian equity markets opened positively this week with both benchmark indices maintaining their winning trend. Positive global sentiments and keen buying in blue-chip stocks put their stamp of approval on the day.

Reliance Industries and HDFC Bank Drive Gains

The BSE Sensex rose 704.37 points to 84,656.56 and the NSE Nifty rose 216.35 points to 25,926.20 in early trading. The rally was boosted by the strong quarterly performances of leading corporates. Reliance Industries rose more than 2% after witnessing a 9.6% year-on-year increase in net profit in the September quarter on the back of good retail and telecom performance and improvement in its oil-to-chemicals segment. HDFC Bank rose 1.54% on reporting a 10% higher consolidated net profit at ₹19,610.67 crore in Q2FY26.

Other Key Losers and Gainers

Other key gainers were Axis Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Infosys, and Bajaj Finserv. ICICI Bank, UltraTech Cement, Trent, and Tata Steel were the laggards, though diluting the overall market momentum to some extent.

Institutional Activity Lifts Market Momentum

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) bought equities amounting to ₹308.98 crore on Friday, while Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) were net buyers, acquiring shares amounting to ₹1,526.61 crore, as per exchange data. Such robust institutional buying gave another push to the rally.

Global Markets Support Domestic Rally

Asian markets began in the green on Monday, with Japan’s Nikkei 225, South Korea’s Kospi, Shanghai Composite, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng opening higher. U.S. markets also closed in the green on Friday, boosting investor morale in Asian bourses.

Sectoral Drivers and Macro Updates

The strong momentum in the domestic market was also bolstered by holiday season buying, especially in consumer durable and auto segments. Overseas crude oil prices also softened slightly, with Brent crude falling 0.36% to USD 61.07 a barrel, softening inflationary pressures and firming market sentiments.

Previous Session Recap and Weekly Performance

On Friday, the Sensex rose by 484.53 points (0.58%) to 83,952.19 and the Nifty rose by 124.55 points (0.49%) to 25,709.85. The weekly Sensex rose by 1.75% (1,451.37 points) and the Nifty rose by 1.67% (424.5 points), a strong indication of the beginning of October earnings season.

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