Markets Hold Strong Gains at Midday; Sensex Up 953 pts, Nifty Surges 264 pts

Mumbai, May 25: Domestic equity benchmarks kept up with their morning momentum through the first half of Monday’s session, with the Sensex and Nifty holding firmly in positive territory at midday. 

The BSE Sensex was trading at 76,368.40, up 953.05 points or 1.26%, while the Nifty 50 stood at 23,983.25, up 263.95 points or 1.11%, as of 11:42 IST extending the morning gap-up with no meaningful pullback through the session so far. Market breadth remained healthy, with buyers in control across large-cap and mid-cap counters as investors drew confidence from a combination of easing geopolitical anxiety, favourable global cues, and Washington’s renewed warmth toward New Delhi.

Gainers & Losers

Among midday Nifty 50 gainers, Eicher Motors remained the top performer, with its LTP at ₹7,328.50 against a previous close of ₹6,981.50, up 4.97%, driven by its strong Q4 earnings beat. Shriram Finance rose 2.49% to ₹964.40 from ₹941.00, Mahindra & Mahindra gained 2.22% to ₹3,149.80 from ₹3,081.30, Bajaj Finance advanced 1.93% to ₹934.20 from ₹916.55, and HDFC Bank climbed 1.64% to ₹779.40 from ₹766.80.

On the losing side, Hindalco slipped 1.10% to ₹1,097.00 from ₹1,109.20, dragged by its Q4 profit decline on a one-time charge. ONGC fell 0.69% to ₹288.00 from ₹290.00, and Sun Pharma dipped 0.51% to ₹1,835.20 from ₹1,844.60, making these three the only visible laggards in an otherwise broadly positive session.

Broader & Sectoral Markets

In the broader market, Nifty Smallcap 100 gained 1.03% to 18,141.30, Nifty 500 rose 0.99% to 22,875.05, and Nifty Midcap 100 added 0.75% to 61,847.00. On the sectoral front, Nifty Auto led with a 2.09% advance to 26,560.10, followed by Nifty PSU Bank up 1.54% to 8,129.40, Nifty Bank rising 1.46% to 54,843.05, and Nifty Financial Services gaining 1.42% to 25,894.85.

Middle East Conflict

The US-Iran conflict, now in its fourth month since the February strikes launched by the US and Israel, continued to dominate the global macro narrative. Trump’s Saturday statement that a peace memorandum was “largely negotiated” sent oil prices sharply lower and equity markets higher, though Iran’s Fars news agency dismissed the characterisation as “inconsistent with reality.” 

Core sticking points including Iran’s nuclear ambitions, frozen oil revenues, and sanctions relief remain unresolved. The US blockade on Iranian ships in the Strait of Hormuz remains in force, and Trump reiterated on Sunday it would stay so until a deal is “certified and signed.” Markets, however, appear increasingly willing to price in a resolution as the tone of negotiations turns constructive.

US President Trump on India, PM Modi

Adding to the positive mood, Trump made a point of expressing strong personal support for India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a phone appearance at an event in Delhi on Sunday, saying “We have never been closer to India. And India can count on me 100 per cent,” reinforcing the perception of a strategically aligned bilateral relationship that investors view as a long-term positive for Indian markets.

Oil Prices

Oil prices extended their pullback into Monday’s session on the deal optimism, with Brent crude falling 4.55% to $98.83 a barrel and WTI declining 4.73% to $92.03, both touching their lowest levels since May 7. The easing in crude offers meaningful relief to India’s import bill and margin pressure on downstream sectors, though prices remain above the psychologically important $90 mark.

Asian Markets

Asian markets were broadly in the green on Monday morning, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 leading the region with a sharp 2.85% gain to 65,142.81, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rising 0.86% to 25,606.03, and China’s Shanghai Composite adding 0.62% to 4,138.30, as deal optimism lifted risk appetite across the region.

Monday Opening

Indian benchmark indices opened the session on a strongly positive note, with the Sensex climbing 834.54 points or 1.11% to 76,249.89 and the Nifty 50 advancing 259.45 points or 1.09% to 23,978.75 as of 9:18 IST. Banking, auto, and financial services stocks led the charge from the opening bell as improving global sentiment and easing crude prices boosted risk appetite. The gap-up opening built on Friday’s positive close, when the Nifty had ended 0.27% higher at 23,719.30 and the Sensex had gained 0.31% to 75,415.35.

Source: 

• https://www.nseindia.com/market-data/live-market-indices
• https://www.nseindia.com/market-data/top-gainers-losers