Sectoral Snapshot Today, September 18, 2026: Metals And Energy Lead Gains As IT Posts Fall Led By TCS

Mumbai, September 18: Indian sectoral indices ended largely higher on Friday, with metals, realty, media, infrastructure and energy stocks leading gains, while IT stocks remained under pressure. The broader market outperformed the benchmarks, with buying visible across several domestic-facing sectors. 

Metals Stocks Rally 

Metal stocks were among the strongest performers, with the sectoral index gaining more than 1 percent. Pipe company Welspun Corp jumped 8% while Hindustan Zinc jumped 4%. Adani Enterprises jumped 3.3% on the sectoral index after a global broker recommended a ‘Buy’ rating on four group stocks: Adani Power, Adani Green Energy, Adani Energy Solutions and Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (SEZ).   

The strength in metal stocks also came amid broader buying in cyclical and domestic-facing sectors, helping the Nifty Metal index outperform the frontline benchmarks. 

Realty Stocks Gain 

Realty stocks also advanced, with the sectoral index gaining more than 1 percent. DLF (up 0.7%), Godrej Properties (0.8%), Lodha Developers (3.8%) and Oberoi Realty (2.5%) were among the prominent gainers in the sector. Prestige Estates Projects bucked the trend, declining 0.3%. 

Energy, Infrastructure Stocks In Demand 

Energy stocks ended higher as crude oil prices eased during the session. Adani Total Gas jumped 12.6% after thumbs-up from global brokerage to Adani group stocks. Adani Power edged up 0.3% while Adani Green Energy jumped 4.7%. Adani Energy Solutions also rose 3.5% on the energy sub-index.   

Infrastructure stocks also advanced, with Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone jumping 5%. Bharti Airtel  rose 3% on the sectoral index. 

Brent crude fell 1.6 percent to around $103.1 a barrel, providing some relief after the recent surge in oil prices. 

Media Stocks Extend Gains 

Media stocks were another strong pocket of the market, with the sectoral index rising more than 1 percent. Ranbir Kapoor backed Prime Focus rose for the fourth day, up 2.8%. Multiplex chain PVR INOX continued to rise, jumping 4%. 

IT Stocks Buck Trend 

IT stocks were among the notable laggards, with the Nifty IT index falling 1.03 percent. Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, HCLTech, and Tech Mahindra traded lower, weighing on the sector. Tata Consultancy Services fell the most, down 3.9% as market participants assessed the implications of the ongoing tussle surrounding Tata Sons, including questions around the holding company’s future listing and leadership. 

The weakness in IT came even as most domestic-facing sectors gained, with concerns around US monetary conditions and investor preference for AI-focused companies continuing to influence sentiment towards technology stocks. 

Overall, Friday’s sectoral performance reflected a broad rotation towards domestic-facing and cyclical segments. The small-cap index jumped 1.7 percent and the mid-cap index rose 1.2 percent, while market breadth remained firmly positive with 2,531 stocks advancing against 1,452 declines on the NSE. 

Source

• NSE