The domestic equity indices traded with substantial gains in the early trade, mirroring positive cues from Asian markets. Investors are keeping a close watch on rupee movement, FII activity, IPO activity and other global developments. The Nifty traded above the 26,000 level.
All sectoral indices traded in the green with metal, IT and media stocks leading the rally.
At 09:25 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex jumped 446.04 points or 0.52% to 85,370.26. The Nifty 50 index advanced 149.80 points or 0.58% to 26,117.35.
In the broader market, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index rose 0.61% and the S&P BSE Small-Cap index jumped 0.62%.
The market breadth was strong. On the BSE, 2,344 shares rose and 751 shares fell. A total of 226 shares were unchanged.
Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth Rs 1,830.89 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net buyers to the tune of Rs 5,722.89 crore in the Indian equity market on 18 December 2025, provisional data showed.
Stocks in Spotlight:
Sudeep Pharma declined 4.52% after the company’s consolidated net profit declined 6.16% to Rs 45.74 crore despite of 9.32% increase in revenue from operations to Rs 162.66 crore in Q2 FY26 over Q2 FY25.
Emmvee Photovoltaic Power rose 0.62%. The company said its wholly owned subsidiary, Emmvee Energy (EEPL), has commenced operations of a 2.5 GW solar module line at its factory in Sulibele, Hoskote Taluk, Bengaluru, Karnataka (Unit VI).
RITES advanced 1.70% after the company has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Government of Botswana to support the development and modernisation of the country’s transport infrastructure.
Numbers to Track:
The yield on India's 10-year benchmark federal paper rose 0.55% to 6.606 compared with previous session close of 6.570.
In the foreign exchange market, the rupee edged higher against the dollar. The partially convertible rupee was hovering at 89.4900 compared with its close of 89.6700 during the previous trading session.
MCX Gold futures for 5 February 2026 settlement advanced 0.82% to Rs 135,329.
The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the greenback's value against a basket of currencies, was up 0.02% to 98.62.
The United States 10-year bond yield declined 0.29% to 4.169.
In the commodities market, Brent crude for February 2025 settlement jumped 46 cents or 0.76% to $60.93 a barrel.
Global Markets:
Asian market advanced on Monday as investors parsed China’s central bank’s decision to keep its loan prime rates steady.
The People’s Bank of China kept its 1-year and 5-year loan prime rates unchanged at 3% and 3.5% respectively, holding them for a seventh straight meeting, in line with a Reuters survey. The one-year rate influences most new and outstanding loans, while the five-year benchmark affects mortgages.
Last Friday in the U.S., stocks rose for a second winning day, boosted by Oracle, as the artificial intelligence trade regained its footing after experiencing volatility.
Oracle shares were up 6.6% after TikTok agreed to sell its U.S. operations to a new joint venture that includes the software giant and private equity investor Silver Lake.
The Nasdaq Composite rose 1.31%, closing at 23,307.62. The S&P 500 added 0.88% to close at 6,834.50. The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 183.04 points, or 0.38%, and settled at 48,134.89.