The Indian stock markets were quite uncertain at the start of 2026. Nifty dropped to a point below 26,150 but tried to recover by the middle of the day, hovering around the 26,200 mark. The Sensex soared past 85,400 points, thereby increasing around 200 points from previous levels. Nifty Bank index also had a good day with the addition of more than 100 points over the 59,000 mark.
Among those stocks in Nifty 500 that went up in value, Adani Total Gas, TRIL, Blue Dart, Adani Power, Indus Tower, Granules, Chalet Hotels, and Chola Holding were included. Dixon Tech shares recovered 3% from the day’s lows, while Godfrey Phillips and Wockhardt shares faced pressure, slipping from earlier highs.
Sectoral trends:
- Nifty Auto Index rose by 250 points, with Tata Motors PV and CV sales showing growth of 14–25% YoY in December.
- Steel and Supreme Industries shares jumped 3–8%, driven by high trading volumes.
- Coal India reported a 4.6% YoY production increase in December, taking total output to 529.2 MT.
- Insurance sector commissions rose sharply, impacting affordability and penetration.
Stock recommendations: Experts suggested selective buying opportunities:
- Religare Broking: Buy L&T (target ₹4,280), SBI (target ₹1,015)
- ICICI Securities: Buy Bajaj Auto (target ₹10,000-10,200), CONCOR (target ₹560)
- Mirae Asset Sharekhan: Buy Samvardhana Motherson (target ₹128), Ultratech Cement (target ₹12,450)
Currently, the markets are paying close attention to resistance areas located around 26,200-26,250 for Nifty, whereas the investors follow the sector-wise profits of the automobile, IT, steel, and energy stocks.
Key corporate updates:
- NMDC: Production up 14.6% YoY; sales up 18.7% YoY
- Hi-Tech Pipes: Sales up 10% YoY
- Karur Vysya Bank: Total deposits up 15.57% YoY
- APL Apollo: Q3 sales volume up 11% YoY
The start of the year 2026 finds the market actors being careful, given the volatility prevailing in the markets, and they are also looking for updates related to GST, changes in excise duty and global macro that trend which affect the mood of investors.
