Taking Stock | Sensex, Nifty end with modest gain amid volatility; IT, metal, PSU banks shine

Indian benchmark indices ended with moderate gains in the highly volatile session and also extended the winning streak for the fifth straight session on October 20.

At Close, the Sensex was up 95.71 points or 0.16% at 59,202.90, and the Nifty was up 51.70 points or 0.30% at 17,564.

The domestic market started on a negative note amid weak global cues and stayed in negative territory for the most part of the session. However, last-hour buying helped the indices to close near the day's high level.

"The sharp increase in US yield, global market weakness, and unexpected drop in INR promoted selling pressure in the domestic market. Globally, investors expect the Fed to stay aggressive, raising interest rates by 75 basis points in the next two policy sessions, bringing the fed rate as high as 4.50% to 4.75%, by the end of the year," said Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Financial Services.

"The strong domestic market, on the other hand, regained its losses as the RBI is expected to be less aggressive as domestic inflation is thought to have peaked. However, FPI inflows are anticipated to remain volatile in the short-term due to elevated US yields," Nair added.

Also Read: Rupee hits new record low against dollar, may slide further

Stocks and sectors

UPL, Adani Enterprises, Tech Mahindra, HCL Tech and Adani Ports were among the top Nifty gainers. IndusInd Bank, Asian Paints, Apollo Hospitals, UltraTech Cement and HDFC Bank were the top losers.

Index	Prices	Change	Change%
Sensex	82,172.10	398.44	+0.49%
Nifty 50	25,181.80	135.65	+0.54%
Nifty Bank	56,192.05	173.80	+0.31%

Nifty 50 25,181.80 135.65 (0.54%)

Thu, Oct 09, 2025

• 1D
• 5D
• 1M
• 3M
• 6M
• 1Y
• 2Y

Biggest Gainer	Prices	Change	Change%
JSW Steel	1,175.20	30.00	+2.62%

Biggest Loser	Prices	Change	Change%
Axis Bank	1,167.40	-13.20	-1.12%

Best Sector	Prices	Change	Change%
Nifty Metal	10356.20	219.70	+2.17%

Worst Sector	Prices	Change	Change%
Nifty Auto	26587.00	64.60	+0.24%

Among sectors, Nifty Energy, Information Technology, Metal, and PSU Bank, rose 1-2 percent.

Broader indices underperformed the main indices with BSE midcap and smallcap indices ending on a flat note.

On the BSE, Oil & Gas, Power and Information Technology, and Metal added 0.8-1 percent each. On the other hand, Bank, Capital Goods indices fell 0.5 percent each.

A long build-up was seen in Birlasoft, UPL and Canara Bank, while a short build-up was witnessed in IndusInd Bank, AU Small Finance Bank and ABB.

Among individual stocks, a volume spike of more than 400 percent was seen in Colgate Palmolive, Muthoot Finance and UPL.

More than 100 stocks touched their 52-week high on the BSE, including Indian Bank, Anant Raj, South Indian Bank, ITC, Kolte-Patil Developers, Deepak Fertilisers, ITD Cementation and EID Parry.

Outlook for October 21

Ajit Mishra, VP - Research, Religare Broking

Markets maintained consolidation bias on the weekly expiry day and ended marginally higher. Weak global cues triggered a gap-down start in the Nifty however buying in IT, energy and banking majors not only pared losses but also pushed the index in the green.

Consequently, Nifty closed near the day’s high to end at 17,563.95 levels. Meanwhile, the broader indices underperformed and ended marginally lower.

Markets are digesting the recent gains however the tone is still positive, thanks to noticeable buying interest on every dip. However, we’re seeing limited participation across sectors so the focus should remain on stock selection. Needless to say, further recovery in the global indices, especially the US, would strengthen the trend and help the Nifty to inch toward the 17,800 levels.

Prashanth Tapse - Research Analyst, Senior VP (Research), Mehta Equities

The bulls made a spectacular comeback after the morning session drubbing. After wobbling in early trades, the markets regrouped on value buying backed with short covering.

The positive catalyst was the rupee rebounded to close below the 83-mark. Technically speaking, Nifty’s immediate hurdle is seen at 17609 above the same, all eyes will be on Nifty’s psychological 18,000 mark.

Shrikant Chouhan, Head of Equity Research (Retail), Kotak Securities

Markets staged a smart recovery towards the fag-end helped by strong gains in IT stocks. Despite bearishness in Asian and European indices, Indian markets maintained their winning streak as investors remain optimistic about our growth story.

The world economy remains mired under several negative factors, but the local economy has managed to stay resilient despite challenges from the external front.

After a gap-down opening, the Nifty held the crucial support level of 17,400 and bounced back sharply thereafter. It has also formed a bullish candle on daily charts and closed above the 50-day SMA which is broadly positive.

For Nifty bulls, 17,400 -17,450 could be the key support zones, above which the index could move up to 17,700-17,750. On the flip side, the uptrend would be vulnerable below 17,400.

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