BT Closing Bell | Sensex settles 789 pts higher from day’s low, Nifty above 23,650; RIL jumps 3%
Five stocks, namely RIL, Axis Bank, M&M, NTPC, and Bajaj Finserv, contributed largely to the Sensex’s rise.
- May 20, 2026,
- Updated May 20, 2026 3:48 PM IST
Domestic equity benchmarks BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty erased early losses to settle higher on Wednesday, led by gains in heavyweight stocks such as Reliance Industries, Bajaj Finserv and Trent. However, elevated crude oil prices, the rupee hovering above the Rs 96-per-dollar mark, and persistent geopolitical tensions kept overall market sentiment cautious and limited broader upside.
At close, the Sensex climbed 117.54 points, or 0.16 per cent, to close at 75,318.39, rising as much as 788.98 points from day’s low of 74,529.41, while the Nifty gained 41 points, or 0.17 per cent, to settle at 23,659.
Top gainers & losers
Among Sensex constituents, Reliance Industries (RIL) emerged as the top gainer, climbing 2.83% to Rs 1359.75. Bajaj Finserv followed with a 1.33% jump, while Trent, InterGlobe Aviation (IndiGo), Axis Bank, and Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) advanced 1.02%, 0.99%, 0.98% and 0.94%, respectively.
While stocks such as Bharat Electronics (BEL), Tech Mahindra and Eternal were among the losers on the 30-pack index, they declined up to 2.27%. "Markets recovered from intraday lows, supported by selective buying in large cap stocks across autos, financials, and oil & gas. Autos and financials gained on relatively better Q4 earnings, while recent fuel price hikes supported sentiment for OMCs and refiners,” said Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments Ltd.
“However, persistent rupee weakness and elevated crude prices continue to weigh on sentiment due to concerns around inflation and margin pressures, while FII flows remain mixed,” Nair added.
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Five stocks, namely RIL, Axis Bank, M&M, NTPC, and Bajaj Finserv, contributed largely to the Sensex’s rise.
Among sectoral indices, the BSE Energy index advanced 1.45% to close at 11,630.45, while the BSE Auto index climbed 0.82% to settle at 57,025.10. “Going ahead, the immediate support for Nifty is placed in the 23500-23450 zone. Any sustainable move below this zone could result in Nifty extending its weakness towards 23300, followed by 23150 in the short term. On the upside, the immediate resistance for Nifty is placed in the 23800-23850 zone, which coincides with the 20-day EMA,” said Sudeep Shah, head of technical and derivatives research at SBI Securities.
Domestic equity benchmarks BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty erased early losses to settle higher on Wednesday, led by gains in heavyweight stocks such as Reliance Industries, Bajaj Finserv and Trent. However, elevated crude oil prices, the rupee hovering above the Rs 96-per-dollar mark, and persistent geopolitical tensions kept overall market sentiment cautious and limited broader upside.
At close, the Sensex climbed 117.54 points, or 0.16 per cent, to close at 75,318.39, rising as much as 788.98 points from day’s low of 74,529.41, while the Nifty gained 41 points, or 0.17 per cent, to settle at 23,659.
Top gainers & losers
Among Sensex constituents, Reliance Industries (RIL) emerged as the top gainer, climbing 2.83% to Rs 1359.75. Bajaj Finserv followed with a 1.33% jump, while Trent, InterGlobe Aviation (IndiGo), Axis Bank, and Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) advanced 1.02%, 0.99%, 0.98% and 0.94%, respectively.
While stocks such as Bharat Electronics (BEL), Tech Mahindra and Eternal were among the losers on the 30-pack index, they declined up to 2.27%. "Markets recovered from intraday lows, supported by selective buying in large cap stocks across autos, financials, and oil & gas. Autos and financials gained on relatively better Q4 earnings, while recent fuel price hikes supported sentiment for OMCs and refiners,” said Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments Ltd.
“However, persistent rupee weakness and elevated crude prices continue to weigh on sentiment due to concerns around inflation and margin pressures, while FII flows remain mixed,” Nair added.
The Business Today Show at India Today | Every trading day at 3 pm | Complete stock market closing action
Catch all the latest updates coming in from the stock markets on The Business Today Show. This is where you will get all the market closing action on the Dalal Street, and what's hot in the corporate and financial world. Every trading day at 3 pm - The Business Today Show at India Today.
Watch here:
Five stocks, namely RIL, Axis Bank, M&M, NTPC, and Bajaj Finserv, contributed largely to the Sensex’s rise.
Among sectoral indices, the BSE Energy index advanced 1.45% to close at 11,630.45, while the BSE Auto index climbed 0.82% to settle at 57,025.10. “Going ahead, the immediate support for Nifty is placed in the 23500-23450 zone. Any sustainable move below this zone could result in Nifty extending its weakness towards 23300, followed by 23150 in the short term. On the upside, the immediate resistance for Nifty is placed in the 23800-23850 zone, which coincides with the 20-day EMA,” said Sudeep Shah, head of technical and derivatives research at SBI Securities.