Closing Bell: Nifty above 24,700, Sensex gains 419 pts; all sectors in the green

Market Close | Sensex gains 419 pts, Nifty above 24700

Indian equity indices ended on strong note with Nifty above 24,700 on August 4. At close, the Sensex was up 418.81 points or 0.52 percent at 81,018.72, and the Nifty was up 157.40 points or 0.64 percent at 24,722.75.

We wrap up today's edition of the Moneycontrol live market blog, and will be back tomorrow morning with all the latest updates and alerts. Please visit https://www.moneycontrol.com/markets/global-indices for all the global market action.

Shrikant Chouhan, Head Equity Research, Kotak Securities

Today, the benchmark indices witnessed a promising pullback rally. The Nifty ends 157 points higher, while the Sensex was up by 419 points. Among sectors, almost all the major sectoral indices traded in positive territory, but the Metal and Defense indices outperformed, rallying over 2.5 percent. Technically, after a sharp correction on intraday charts, the market has formed a reversal pattern, and on daily charts, it has formed a bullish candle, which is largely positive. We are of the view that, in the short term, the market's texture is weak but oversold; hence, a sharp technical bounce back is not ruled out from the current levels.

For day traders, 24,550 / 80,600 and 24,500 / 80,500 would act as key support zones, while 24,850-24,950 / 81,500-81,800 could be the key resistance areas for the bulls. However, below 24,500 / 80,500, the sentiment could change. Below this level, traders may prefer to exit their long positions.

All the other sectoral indices ended in the green with PSU Bank, pharma, realty, IT, metal, telecom, media, consumer durables, auto up 0.5-2.5 percent....Read More

Rupak De, Senior Technical Analyst at LKP Securities

Following a positive start, the index remained in the green throughout the day. On the hourly chart, it has reclaimed the 21EMA, indicating improving sentiment.

The RSI has exhibited a positive divergence again, pointing towards improving momentum. Moreover, on the daily chart, a bullish Harami pattern has formed, signaling waning bearishness that could lead to a recovery in the short term.

On the higher end, it might move towards 24850/25000. Support on the lower end, is placed at 24650/245

Ajit Mishra – SVP, Research, Religare Broking

Markets started the week on a positive note, gaining over half a percent amid mixed cues. Despite a weak handover from the U.S. markets, the Nifty opened slightly in the green and gradually moved higher throughout the session, eventually settling near the day’s high at 24,722.75. Sector-wise, most indices contributed to the rebound, with metals, realty, and auto emerging as the top gainers. The broader markets also found some relief after the recent correction, as both the midcap and smallcap indices posted gains of nearly 1.5%.

A recurring pattern observed in recent weeks is that the benchmark tends to trade with a positive bias during the first half of the week, only to witness renewed selling pressure in the latter half. Hence, participants should avoid reading too much into a single-day rebound or pause and instead focus on the sustainability of the move.

A decisive break above 24,800 could trigger further upside toward the 25,000 marks, which acts as the next key resistance. Conversely, a close below 24,600 would indicate a resumption of the corrective phase. Despite the volatility, there continues to be no dearth of trading opportunities across sectors. Traders are advised to align their positions accordingly, with a strong emphasis on stock selection and effective trade management.

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Dilip Parmar – Senior Research Analyst, HDFC Securities

The Indian rupee has weakened for six of the past seven days, primarily due to foreign fund outflows and liquidity adjustments by the Reserve Bank of India following the maturity of a $5 billion USD/INR swap. The forward premium also jumped to reflect the potential interest rate differential between the US and India after Friday's job data from US.

In the near term, the spot USD/INR pair has a resistance level at 87.70 and support at 87.30.

Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments

The domestic equity market edged higher, supported by strong performance in the metal and auto sectors. A weakening U.S. dollar, along with robust monthly auto sales and encouraging quarterly results from leading automakers, helped renew investor interest in these sectors.

The Q1 earnings summary indicates that consumption-driven companies are benefiting from a rebound in volume demand. Meanwhile, rising unemployment and slower job creation in the U.S. have reinforced expectations of a potential FED rate cut. However, there still remains room for caution due to high U.S. tariffs.

Vaibhav Vidwani, Research Analyst at Bonanza

Today, Indian equity benchmarks staged a strong rebound. The Sensex surged 419 points to close at 81,018.72 (+0.52%), while the Nifty 50 rose 0.64% to finish above the key 24,700 mark at 24,722.25. This positive closing was fueled by robust buying in metal and auto stocks, improved global cues, and renewed optimism ahead of major corporate earnings and the upcoming RBI policy announcement.

Broader indices also participated in the rally, with the Nifty Next 50 and Nifty Midcap 150 outperforming, each gaining over 1%. A key catalyst for today’s gains was relief in global risk sentiment, as Asian markets partially recovered and US index futures stabilized after recent volatility.

Investors shrugged off concerns about new US tariffs following a softer jobs report in America, which revived hopes for a potential US Federal Reserve rate cut next month. Domestically, key FMCG players and select auto majors like Hero MotoCorp delivered strong performances, while cyclicals such as metal stocks led the advances due to optimistic demand outlooks.

Currency Check | Rupee closes lower

Indian rupee ended 13 paise at 87.65 per dollar on Monday versus Friday's close of 87.52.

Market Close | Nifty above 24,700, Sensex up 419 pts; all sectors in the green

Indian equity indices ended on strong note with Nifty above 24,700 on August 4.

At close, the Sensex was up 418.81 points or 0.52 percent at 81,018.72, and the Nifty was up 157.40 points or 0.64 percent at 24,722.75. About 2047 shares advanced, 1607 shares declined, and 154 shares unchanged.

Biggest Nifty gainers Hero MotoCorp, Tata Steel, Bharat Electronics, Adani Ports, JSW Steel, while losers were Power Grid Corp, HDFC Bank, ONGC, ICICI Bank, Apollo Hospitals.

All the other sectoral indices ended in the green with PSU Bank, pharma, realty, IT, metal, telecom, media, consumer durables, auto up 0.5-2.5 percent.

The BSE midcap index rose 1 percent and smallcap index added 0.7 percent.

Sensex Today | Nifty Media index rises 1%; Network 18, Zee Entertainment, DB Corp among top contributors

Brokerage Call | Nomura retains 'reduce' rating on Godrej Properties, target price of Rs 1900

#1 Q1FY26 unimpressive; 3–4 key project launches expected in Q2FY26

#2 FY26F pre-sales expected to miss guidance by 5 percent

#3 Medium-term pre-sales growth likely to be below 20 percent CAGR goal

#4 Volume-driven growth strategy faces risks: equity dilution, execution challenges

#5 Valuation still at 100 percent premium to NAV vs mass-market peers

#6 OCF & deliveries disappointed in Q1FY26 & remain key monitorables

Sensex Today | Delhivery, Star Cement, eClerx Services, among others hit 52-week high

Brokerage Call | CLSA keeps 'outperform' rating on Federal Bank, target price at Rs 230

#1 Marginal PAT beat; credit costs 70 percent above estimate

#2 Profitability maintained via strong other income & lower opex

#3 Loan growth moderated to 9 percent YoY

#4 NIM down 18 bps but better than peers

#5 Fee income growth 21 percent YoY; expense ratio improved

Brokerage Call | HSBC keeps 'buy' rating on ITC, target price at Rs 510

#1 Q1 revenue beat by 10 percent, EBITDA missed by 3 percent due to agribiz

#2 Core cigarettes & FMCG performance in-line

#3 FMCG margin up 50 bps QoQ

#4 FY26–28 EPS cut by 2–3 percent due to lower margin in non-cigarette segments

Earnings Watch | Kirloskar Ferrous' Q1 net profit rises 36% at Rs 95 crore versus Rs 70 crore, YoY

Earnings Watch | Vascon Engineers' Q1 net profit at Rs 22.5 crore versus Rs 9.8 crore, YoY

Global Markets | European markets trade higher; Dow Futures up 300 pts

Brokerage Call | HSBC keeps 'buy' rating on UPL, target price at Rs 775

#1 Muted Q1FY26 due to challenging market conditions

#2 Further improvement in balance sheet continues

#3 Recovery & deleveraging could trigger a virtuous cycle of value creation

Markets@3 | Sensex up 360 points, Nifty around 24700

The Sensex was up 369.32 points or 0.46 percent at 80,969.23, and the Nifty was up 140.95 points or 0.57 percent at 24,706.30. About 2007 shares advanced, 1625 shares declined, and 146 shares unchanged.

Stock Markets LIVE Updates | Tata Steel shares gain most in 12 weeks, snaps 3-day fall

Tata Steel was quoting at Rs 159.35, up Rs 6.35, or 4.15 percent.

It has touched an intraday high of Rs 159.90 and an intraday low of Rs 153.65.

It was trading with volumes of 948,576 shares, compared to its five day average of 795,889 shares, an increase of 19.18 percent.

In the previous trading session, the share closed down 3.04 percent or Rs 4.80 at Rs 153.00.

The share touched a 52-week high of Rs 170.20 and a 52-week low of Rs 122.60 on 30 September, 2024 and 13 January, 2025, respectively.

Currently, the stock is trading 6.37 percent below its 52-week high and 29.98 percent above its 52-week low.

Market capitalisation stands at Rs 198,925.08 crore.

Sensex Today | Hero MotoCorp's sales up 21% at 4.49 lakh units

Hero MotoCorp dispatched 449,755 units in July 2025, registering a 21% increase over 370,274 units recorded in July 2024.

The total domestic sales of the company rose 18.7% at 412,397 units versus 347,535 units, while exports sales jumped to 37,358 units versus 22,739 units, YoY.

Sensex Today | 2.5 million shares of Axis Bank traded in a block: Bloomberg

Axis Bank was quoting at Rs 1,067.80, up Rs 5.20, or 0.49 percent.

It has touched an intraday high of Rs 1,070.00 and an intraday low of Rs 1,059.75.

It was trading with volumes of 3,855,426 shares, compared to its five day average of 570,523 shares, an increase of 575.77 percent.

In the previous trading session, the share closed down 0.53 percent or Rs 5.70 at Rs 1,062.60.

The share touched a 52-week high of Rs 1,281.75 and a 52-week low of Rs 934.00 on 27 September, 2024 and 27 January, 2025, respectively.

Currently, the stock is trading 16.69 percent below its 52-week high and 14.33 percent above its 52-week low.

Market capitalisation stands at Rs 331,222.44 crore.

Sensex Today | BSE Auto snaps 3-day fall; up 1.4%

Brokerage Call | Morgan Stanley keeps 'equal-weight' on Godrej Properties, target price at Rs 2,400

#1 Q1FY26 pre-sales in-line

#2 Godrej share at 78 percent vs 92 percent in Q4FY25 pre-sales

#3 FY26 pre-sales target of Rs 32,500 crore maintained; 22 percent achieved in Q1

#4 Strong launch pipeline, Rs 27,000 crore of unsold inventory

#5 Q1FY26 collections of Rs 3,670 crore, 17 percent of FY26 target

Godrej Properties was quoting at Rs 2,092.80, up Rs 43.55, or 2.13 percent.

It has touched an intraday high of Rs 2,098.00 and an intraday low of Rs 2,041.05.

It was trading with volumes of 10,894 shares, compared to its five day average of 88,893 shares, a decrease of -87.74 percent.

In the previous trading session, the share closed down 2.54 percent or Rs 53.50 at Rs 2,049.25.

The share touched a 52-week high of Rs 3,400.00 and a 52-week low of Rs 1,869.50 on 26 September, 2024 and 07 April, 2025, respectively.

Currently, the stock is trading 38.45 percent below its 52-week high and 11.94 percent above its 52-week low.

Market capitalisation stands at Rs 63,036.42 crore.

Morgan Stanley keeps 'underweight' rating on Federal Bank, target price at Rs 165

#1 Slippages & credit costs increased QoQ due to MFI stress

#2 Management expects MFI stress to ease in 1–2 quarters

#3 No major asset quality concerns elsewhere

#4 RoA expected to moderate to 1 percent

Stock Markets LIVE Updates | Bharti Airtel arm Xtelify launches ‘Airtel Cloud’

Xtelify, a fully-owned subsidiary of Bharti Airtel , today launched a sovereign, telco-grade cloud platform – ‘Airtel Cloud’. Tailored to handle 140 crore transactions per minute for Airtel’s own use in India, this sovereign cloud platform is now being extended to meet the ever-evolving needs of businesses in India.

Sensex Today | Swan Defence and Varex Imaging sign agreement to manufacture cargo and vehicle inspection systems

Swan Defence and Heavy Industries Limited (SDHI) and Varex Imaging Corporation have signed an agreement to manufacture cargo and vehicle inspection systems in India.

Varex Imaging Corporation based in Salt Lake City, UT, USA, is a global leader in linear accelerators and imaging technology, known for its innovative and dependable solutions.

Earnings Watch | Aptech Q1 net profit up 34% at Rs 6.7 crore versus Rs 5 crore, YoY

Aptech was quoting at Rs 131.45, up Rs 2.82, or 2.19 percent.

It has touched an intraday high of Rs 132.78 and an intraday low of Rs 127.20.

It was trading with volumes of 23,890 shares, compared to its five day average of 41,347 shares, a decrease of -42.22 percent.

In the previous trading session, the share closed down 1.33 percent or Rs 1.74 at Rs 128.63.

The share touched a 52-week high of Rs 254.00 and a 52-week low of Rs 107.00 on 27 August, 2024 and 03 March, 2025, respectively.

Currently, the stock is trading 48.25 percent below its 52-week high and 22.85 percent above its 52-week low.

Market capitalisation stands at Rs 762.43 crore.

Sensex Today | HSBC keeps 'buy' rating on PB Fintech, target price at Rs 2,250

#1 Q1FY26 earnings beat driven by margin improvement in new initiatives

#2 Core business margins compressed YoY

#3 Growth focus may cap margin gains near-term; medium-term outlook positive

Currency Check | Rupee trades lower

Indian rupee is trading lower by 12 paise at 87.64 per dollar versus Friday's close of 87.52.

Sensex Today | Premier Explosives wins order of Rs 190 crore

Premier Explosives has received an export order for a total consideration of USD 21,750,000 i.e. approx. Rs 190.07 crore, for manufacture and supply of

Defence Explosives, to be delivered within a period of2years.

Premier Explosives was quoting at Rs 443.70, up Rs 16.75, or 3.92 percent.

It has touched an intraday high of Rs 468.05 and an intraday low of Rs 420.05.

It was trading with volumes of 77,356 shares, compared to its five day average of 33,759 shares, an increase of 129.14 percent.

In the previous trading session, the share closed down 2.80 percent or Rs 12.30 at Rs 426.95.

The share touched a 52-week high of Rs 667.00 and a 52-week low of Rs 308.95 on 06 June, 2025 and 07 April, 2025, respectively.

Currently, the stock is trading 33.48 percent below its 52-week high and 43.62 percent above its 52-week low.

Market capitalisation stands at Rs 2,385.38 crore.

Brokerage Call | Macquarie keeps 'outperform' rating on ITC, target price at Rs 500

#1 Q1 EBITDA broadly in-line, cigarette volume growth at 6.5 percent

#2 Mix improvement partly offset leaf tobacco inflation

#3 Signs of urban recovery in FMCG

#4 Leaf tobacco cost correction seen in current crop cycle

#5 Lower costs may aid cigarette margins in Q4

#6 Constructive view on growth despite weakness in paper

Earnings Watch| Ather Energy Q1 net loss at Rs178.2 cr vs loss of Rs183 cr (YoY)

#1 Revenue up 79% at Rs644.6 cr vs Rs360.5 cr (YoY)

#2 EBITDA loss at Rs134.4 cr vs loss of Rs128.4 cr (YoY)

The company is actively pursuing market expansion by establishing strategic collaborations in sports, fashion, music, and luxury segments, and by filling product gaps with new competitive offerings, like The Spirit of Kashmyr, a luxury vodka...Read More

Earnings Watch| Escorts Kubota Net profit Rs1,397 Cr Vs Rs302 Cr (YoY)

#1 Exceptional Gain At Rs76 Cr Vs Nil (YoY)

#2 Revenue 3% At Rs2,500 Cr Vs Rs2,574 Cr (YoY)

#3 EBITDA Flat At Rs322 Cr (YoY)

#4 Margin At 13% Vs 12.5% (YoY)

Earnings Watch| Aditya Birla Capital Q1 net profit Rs 835 crore vs Rs759 crore YoY

#1 Revenue Rs 9500 crore, up 10% YoY

#2 Total costs Rs 8460 crore, up 9% YoY

A new report reveals that India’s ‘Uber Rich’ continue to park most of their wealth in physical assets, leaving a massive untapped market for wealth managers....Read More

Markets@2 | Sensex jumps 430 pts, Nifty above 24700

The Sensex was up 436.25 points or 0.54 percent at 81,036.16, and the Nifty was up 155.90 points or 0.63 percent at 24,721.25. About 1992 shares advanced, 1607 shares declined, and 141 shares unchanged.

Earnings Watch | Marico Q1 net profit at Rs 513 crore, revenue at Rs 3,259 crore

Brokerage Call | Goldman Sachs keeps 'buy' rating on ITC, target price at Rs 490

#1 Q1FY26 in-line with estimates

#2 Cigarette growth strong, margin expected to recover in H2

#3 FMCG growth improving, margin recovery likely in H2

#4 Paper business margin weakened but likely bottomed

#5 Earnings growth acceleration expected in H2FY27

Brokerage Call | Kotak Institutional Equities keeps 'buy' rating on Delhivery, target price at Rs 500

#1 Q1 PBT up 77 percent QoQ despite operational disturbances

#2 Demonstrates resilience of business model

#3 Scale-up In PTL strengthens flexibility in express parcel business

#4 Rejig in portfolio reflects confidence in supply chain expansion & new initiatives

Earnings Watch | Shree Cement's Q1 net profit up 94.5% at Rs 618.5 crore versus Rs 318 crore, YoY

Earnings Watch | Nuvama keeps 'buy' rating on Federal Bank, target price at Rs 230

#1 Soft Q1: NIM down 18 bps QoQ, slippage up 34 percent, credit cost rose sharply to 66 bps

#2 Credit costs driven by MFI & partly CV/BUB

#3 Core PPoP flat QoQ, down 2.5 percent YoY

#4 CEO expects credit cost to decline after Q2

Sensex Today | Akzo Nobel board approves special interim dividend of Rs 156

#1 Net profit down 20.6% at Rs 91 crore vs Rs 114.6 crore, YoY

#2 Revenue down 4% at Rs 995 crore vs Rs 1,036.3 crore, YoY

#3 EBITDA down 20.4% at Rs 134.4 crore vs Rs 169.8 crore, YoY

#4 Margin at 13.5% vs 16.3%, YoY

Earnings Watch | Stove kraft Q1 net profit up 26.8% at Rs 10.4 crore versus Rs 8.2 crore, YoY

Stove Kraft was quoting at Rs 595.30, up Rs 18.55, or 3.22 percent.

It has touched an intraday high of Rs 617.70 and an intraday low of Rs 570.00.

In the previous trading session, the share closed down 2.94 percent or Rs 17.45 at Rs 576.75.

The share touched a 52-week high of Rs 976.75 and a 52-week low of Rs 524.95 on 20 January, 2025 and 03 June, 2025, respectively.

Currently, the stock is trading 39.05 percent below its 52-week high and 13.4 percent above its 52-week low.

Market capitalisation stands at Rs 1,969.00 crore.

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Currency Check | Rupee erases gains, trades lower

Indian rupee erased intraday gains and trading lower at 87.60 per dollar versus Friday's close of 87.52.

Brokerage Call | Jefferies retains 'buy' rating on ITC, target price at Rs 535

#1 Cigarette volume growth accelerated to multi-quarter high

#2 Segment EBIT margin continued to trend down though EBIT was in-line

#3 Other segments reported lower-than-expected EBIT due to margin pressure

#4 Overall EBITDA growth muted at 3 percent, slight miss to estimates