Stocks in Focus Today, July 17, 2026: IT, Pvt Banks, Auto Stocks Rally Sharply as Nifty Hits 24,300

Mumbai, July 17: Information technology, private sector banks and auto stocks rallied sharply Friday, driving benchmark indices considerably higher even as investors looked forward to quarterly results from heavy-weights lenders later in the session. The buying was broadly spread across the three sectors, analysts said, rather than driven by stock-specific moves. The Nifty IT index gained 1.81 percent, Nifty Private Bank rose 1.75 percent and Nifty Auto added 1.10 percent, with all three sectors outperforming the benchmark Nifty 50 index’s rise of 0.99 percent at noon, even as Asian markets turned jittery. 

Information Technology 

• HCL Technologies (HCLTECH): Rs 1,206 (up 2.60% from previous close of Rs 1,187.40) 

• Tata Consultancy Services (TCS): Rs 2,270 (up 3.13% from previous close of Rs 2,201) 

• Infosys (INFY): Rs 1,098 (up 1.44% from previous close of Rs 1,082.40) 

• Tech Mahindra (TECHM): Rs 1,574.40 (up 4.24% from previous close of Rs 1,510.30) 

The Nifty IT index rose 1.81 percent to 29,241.05 against Thursday’s close of 28,722.60. Thursday’s rally continued into a second straight session with Tech Mahindra surging over 4 percent on heavy volumes. TCS also rallied sharply on results expectations ahead of its Q1 earnings later in the week. HCL Technologies and Infosys lent further support to the rise and all four large-cap IT stocks were trading comfortably in the green through noon trades. Analysts said that the sector continued to attract buyers on hopes of a better-than-expected earnings season as well as steady deal flow, with investors looking past the deepening Iran-United States spat for now. 

Private Banks 

• Kotak Mahindra Bank (KOTAKBANK): Rs 386.60 (up 2.68% from previous close of Rs 377.15) 

• ICICI Bank (ICICIBANK): Rs 1,442 (up 1.68% from previous close of Rs 1,418.20) 

• HDFC Bank (HDFCBANK): Rs 820.60 (up 1.52% from previous close of Rs 808.30) 

• Axis Bank (AXISBANK): Rs 1,318.10 (up 0.80% from previous close of Rs 1,307.60) 

The Nifty Private Bank index gained 1.75 percent to 28,402.85 against Thursday’s close of 27,915.60, its sharpest single-day rise in recent sessions. Kotak Mahindra Bank led the pack, gaining the most among peers while ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank followed closely with both lenders jumping on heavy volumes through midday trades. Axis Bank rounded off the gains, though its increase was modest compared with other lenders. All four lenders are set to announce their June-quarter results later in the day, and traders have positioned themselves ahead of the results, betting on strong loan growth and steady asset quality. Meanwhile, the broader Nifty Bank index rose 1.34 percent and Nifty Financial Services added 1.25 percent. 

Auto 

• Eicher Motors (EICHERMOT): Rs 7,533.50 (up 1.55% from previous close of Rs 7,418.50) 

• Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M): Rs 3,165 (up 1.51% from previous close of Rs 3,117.80) 

• Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles (TMPV): Rs 335.10 (up 0.99% from previous close of Rs 331.80) 

• Bajaj Auto (BAJAJ-AUTO): Rs 10,415 (up 0.81% from previous close of Rs 10,331.50) 

The Nifty Auto index rose 1.10 percent to 27,062.90 against its previous close of 26,767.55. Eicher Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra were the top gainers on continued optimism over festive season demand while Tata Motors’ passenger vehicle business also gained on dealers saying their order-book situation was stable. Bajaj Auto capped off the auto lenders with a more modest gain than its peers. In contrast to Thursday’s session, when only a handful of auto counters rallied sharply, Friday’s gain was broader across the auto space with most auto index constituents trading higher through midday trades. 

The Nifty 50 index was trading higher by 238.55 points, or 0.99 percent, at 24,311.30 as of noon. It built upon its early gains even as Asian markets painted a gloomier picture, with Asian shares outside Japan falling ahead of the weekend and Wall Street dropping overnight. Japan’s Nikkei led declines among Asian markets on Friday. Financial services stocks broadly lent support to gains in IT, private banks and auto stocks, even as stocks within pharma and healthcare extended declines seen in recent sessions. The Nifty Pharma index fell over 1 percent. 

India’s volatility index, the Nifty India VIX, increased by 2.27 percent to 13.18. 

Source

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