TechM Leads Nifty 50 Gainers on Monday as IT Stocks Shine Amid Broad Market Gloom

Mumbai, May 18: Tech Mahindra was Monday’s top gainer on the Nifty 50, surging 4.85% to trade at Rs 1,437 as a depreciating rupee and relentless risk-off selling drove investors into the safety of export-oriented technology stocks, triggering a decisive outperformance by the IT sector even as the broader market bled under the weight of Iran war jitters and surging crude oil prices.

Infosys, Bharti Airtel, Sun Pharma, Wipro, and Bajaj Finserv also featured among the top index gainers, with stock prices rising between 1.27% and 2.38% as institutional money rotated sharply into defensive, dollar-earning businesses insulated from the macro turbulence gripping rate-sensitive and oil-exposed sectors.

Tech Mahindra: Top Gainer

Tech Mahindra (TECHM) topped the Nifty 50 gainers chart on Monday, surging 4.85% to trade at Rs 1,437, up sharply from its previous close of Rs 1,370.50 on the National Stock Exchange. The stock opened flat at Rs 1,363.70, scaled a session high of Rs 1,437.70, and held those gains firmly with a low of Rs 1,363.70 — a steady, grinding advance through the session.

Approximately 62 lakh shares worth Rs 867 crore changed hands. The sharp move in Tech Mahindra reflected aggressive institutional accumulation in a stock that had underperformed IT peers over the past month, with the rupee’s record slide past 96 to the dollar amplifying the dollar-revenue advantage and prompting analysts to revise their earnings upgrade triggers for the company’s communications and manufacturing verticals.

Infosys

Infosys (INFY) was the second-biggest Nifty 50 gainer on Monday, rising 2.38% to trade at Rs 1,145.60, up from its previous close of Rs 1,119. India’s second-largest IT exporter opened at Rs 1,119, hit an intraday high of Rs 1,146.10, and held its gains steadily through the session with a low of Rs 1,118. Around 1.21 crore shares worth approximately Rs 1,373 crore were traded.

Infosys has now rebounded firmly from its recent lows, with the rupee depreciation tailwind, a solid deal pipeline commentary from management, and growing client interest in AI-led enterprise transformation continuing to fuel institutional buying.

Bharti Airtel

Bharti Airtel (BHARTIARTL) was the third-biggest gainer, advancing 1.66% to Rs 1,937.10 from a previous close of Rs 1,905.40. The telecom major opened at Rs 1,904.80, touched a high of Rs 1,953.80, and held a session low of Rs 1,890.40, with approximately 1.39 crore shares worth Rs 2,685 crore traded.

Airtel’s resilience on a weak market day underscored the stock’s defensive character, with investors citing its consistent ARPU growth trajectory and 5G monetisation visibility as reasons to hold the counter even as discretionary and rate-sensitive names faced heavy selling.

Sun Pharma

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries (SUNPHARMA) gained 1.37% to Rs 1,904 from its previous close of Rs 1,878.20, opening at Rs 1,878.20, hitting a high of Rs 1,911, and touching a session low of Rs 1,865. Around 34.56 lakh shares worth Rs 655 crore changed hands as investors rotated into domestic pharma as a classic defensive safe haven amid the market’s geopolitical stress.

Wipro

Wipro (WIPRO) rose 1.31% to Rs 192.49 from its previous close of Rs 190, opening at Rs 190.99 and scaling a high of Rs 192.75 with a session low of Rs 189.20. Over 1.63 crore shares worth Rs 312 crore were traded, as the mid-tier IT major benefited from the same rupee-depreciation and defensive rotation dynamics sweeping the broader technology sector.

Bajaj Finserv

Bajaj Finserv (BAJAJFINSV) rounded out the top six Nifty gainers, rising 1.27% to Rs 1,750 from its previous close of Rs 1,728.10. The stock opened at Rs 1,715, hit a high of Rs 1,759, and recorded a low of Rs 1,693.80, with approximately 12 lakh shares worth Rs 208 crore traded. The recovery in Bajaj Finserv reflected selective buying in quality financial conglomerates with diversified income streams that are relatively insulated from the pure-play rate and currency risks battering PSU banks and lending-heavy NBFCs.

Nifty 50 Stocks With Biggest Gains on Monday, May 18

Source: NSE · Nifty 50 Gainers · 18 May 2026

Source:

• https://www.nseindia.com/market-data/top-gainers-losers
• https://www.nseindia.com/get-quote/equity/BAJAJFINSV/Bajaj-Finserv-Limited