The frontline indices traded with significant gains in the afternoon trade, supported by hopes of big changes to the GST system and a recent upgrade to India’s credit rating. On the occasion of Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the government plans to bring “generational” GST reforms before Diwali, which could benefit sectors like auto, FMCG, and consumer goods. However, global worries remain, including the Russia-Ukraine conflict and possible 25% US tariffs on Indian products starting August 27. The Nifty traded above the 24,900 level.
At 13:35 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, surged 851.34 points or 1.06% to 81,449.00. The Nifty 50 index jumped 295.30 points or 1.02% to 24,926.30.
The broader market outperformed the frontline indices. The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index advanced 1.15% and the S&P BSE Small-Cap index jumped 1.37%.
The market breadth was strong. On the BSE, 2,545 shares rose and 1,566 shares fell. A total of 189 shares were unchanged.
Gainers & Losers:
Trent (up 4.22%), Maruti Suzuki India (up 8.54%), Hero MotoCorp (up 5.94%), Nestle India (up 5.70%) and Bajaj Finance (up 5.63%) were the major Nifty50 gainers.
Eternal (down 3.05%), Larsen & Toubro (down 0.85%), Infosys (down 0.71%), ITC (down 0.66%) and Tech Mahindra (down 0.69%) were the major Nifty50 Losers.
Stocks in Spotlight:
KEC International surged 5.26% after the company announced that it has secured new orders worth Rs 1,402 crore across its key business verticals.
Zaggle Prepaid Ocean Services jumped 7.12% after the company’s standalone net profit surged 54.8% to Rs 25.88 crore on a 31.4% increase in revenue from operations to Rs 331.49 crore in Q1 FY26 over Q1 FY25.
Global Markets:
European stocks opened lower on Monday as traders awaited a meeting between regional leaders and U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss Ukraine.
Markets in Asia traded in a mixed manner on Monday after the U.S.-Russia summit concluded without a ceasefire.
As per media reports, U.S. President Donald Trump now seemed more aligned with Moscow on seeking a peace deal with Ukraine instead of a ceasefire first, after meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday.
The reports further state that Trump will meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and European leaders later on Monday to discuss the next steps, though actual proposals are vague as yet.
US stocks were mixed on Friday as Wall Street tempered its rate-cut hopes amid economic data this week that showed higher-than-expected wholesale inflation and a rise in July retail sales.
The Dow rose 0.08%, or 34.86 points, to 44,946.12. The S&P 500 slipped 0.29%, or 18.74 points, to 6,449.80; and the tech-heavy Nasdaq dipped 0.4%, or 87.693 points, to 21,622.977.
The US Census Bureau data released Friday morning showed retail sales rose 0.5% in July from the prior month.
Meanwhile, US consumer sentiment deteriorated in August, falling for the first time in four months as inflation expectations jumped in the longer term.
The US Fed will continue to be in focus this week as central bank members travel to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, for the annual economic policy symposium.