Sensex, Nifty gain 3% in 3 days; investors get richer by Rs 9 lakh crore. What's next?
Long-term value remains intact, but near-term upside is limited due to ongoing geopolitical tensions, high crude prices, and continued rupee depreciation, said Vinod Nair.
- Mar 18, 2026,
- Updated Mar 18, 2026 4:00 PM IST
Domestic equity benchmarks BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty extended their gains for the third consecutive session on Wednesday, supported by gains in IT stocks amid uncertainity around West Asia conflict.
At close, the Sensex surged 633.29 points, or 0.83 per cent, to settle at 76,704.13, taking its three-day jump to 2,140.21 points, or 2.8 per cent. While the Nifty advanced 196.65 points, or 0.83 per cent, to settle at 23,777.80, it rose 626.7 points or 2.7 per cent in three sessions.
Investors’ wealth rose by over Rs 9 lakh crore in the last three sessions, as the combined market capitalisation of BSE-listed companies advanced to Rs 438.87 lakh crore, compared with Rs 429.39 lakh crore at close on March 13.
Long-term value remains intact, but near-term upside is limited due to ongoing geopolitical tensions, high crude prices, and continued rupee depreciation, said Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments Limited.
“Investors are now awaiting policy decisions from major global central banks—including the Fed, ECB, BoJ, and BoE—where guidance will be crucial in assessing the impact of the US–Iran conflict on the future interest rate outlook," Nair said.
Top gainers & losers
Among Sensex constituents, Eternal emerged as the top gainer, gaining 3.37% to Rs 242.60. Tech Mahindra followed with a 3.27% rise, while Infosys, Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M), HCL Technologies and Adani Ports advanced 2.84%, 2.68%, 2.62% and 2.54%, respectively.
While NTPC, Hindustan Unilever (HUL) and Sun Pharma are among the losers on the Sensex, declining up to 1.29%.
Five stocks, namely Infosys, Reliance Industries, Bharti Airtel, M&M, and L&T, contributed largely to the Sensex’s gain.
Among sectoral indices, the BSE IT index jumped 2.82% to close at 28,626.76, while the BSE Auto index gained 1.77% to settle at 56,639.32.
The cooling of volatility, particularly around expiry, has resulted in lower option premiums and less panic-driven positioning, said Hariprasad K, SEBI-registered research analyst and founder, Livelong Wealth.
Market breadth remained positive on BSE. Of the 4,432 actively traded stocks, 3,203 ended in the green, while a dominant 1,087 declined and 142 settled unchanged.
Today's session saw 56 stocks touch 52-week highs, while 220 counters fell to their 52-week lows.
Key levels
From a technical standpoint, Hariprasad said that sustaining above 23,800 could lead to further upside towards the 24,000 mark, a key psychological resistance, followed by 24,300, where previous supply and open interest clusters exist. “On the downside, 23,600 now acts as immediate support for the Nifty, while the 23,300–23,350 zone remains a strong demand base.”
“The BSE Sensex mirrored this strength, gaining over 600 points and approaching the 76,800–77,000 resistance zone. Immediate support is placed around 76,400–76,500, with 76,000 continuing to act as a strong psychological base,” Hariprasad said.
Domestic equity benchmarks BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty extended their gains for the third consecutive session on Wednesday, supported by gains in IT stocks amid uncertainity around West Asia conflict.
At close, the Sensex surged 633.29 points, or 0.83 per cent, to settle at 76,704.13, taking its three-day jump to 2,140.21 points, or 2.8 per cent. While the Nifty advanced 196.65 points, or 0.83 per cent, to settle at 23,777.80, it rose 626.7 points or 2.7 per cent in three sessions.
Investors’ wealth rose by over Rs 9 lakh crore in the last three sessions, as the combined market capitalisation of BSE-listed companies advanced to Rs 438.87 lakh crore, compared with Rs 429.39 lakh crore at close on March 13.
Long-term value remains intact, but near-term upside is limited due to ongoing geopolitical tensions, high crude prices, and continued rupee depreciation, said Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments Limited.
“Investors are now awaiting policy decisions from major global central banks—including the Fed, ECB, BoJ, and BoE—where guidance will be crucial in assessing the impact of the US–Iran conflict on the future interest rate outlook," Nair said.
Top gainers & losers
Among Sensex constituents, Eternal emerged as the top gainer, gaining 3.37% to Rs 242.60. Tech Mahindra followed with a 3.27% rise, while Infosys, Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M), HCL Technologies and Adani Ports advanced 2.84%, 2.68%, 2.62% and 2.54%, respectively.
While NTPC, Hindustan Unilever (HUL) and Sun Pharma are among the losers on the Sensex, declining up to 1.29%.
Five stocks, namely Infosys, Reliance Industries, Bharti Airtel, M&M, and L&T, contributed largely to the Sensex’s gain.
Among sectoral indices, the BSE IT index jumped 2.82% to close at 28,626.76, while the BSE Auto index gained 1.77% to settle at 56,639.32.
The cooling of volatility, particularly around expiry, has resulted in lower option premiums and less panic-driven positioning, said Hariprasad K, SEBI-registered research analyst and founder, Livelong Wealth.
Market breadth remained positive on BSE. Of the 4,432 actively traded stocks, 3,203 ended in the green, while a dominant 1,087 declined and 142 settled unchanged.
Today's session saw 56 stocks touch 52-week highs, while 220 counters fell to their 52-week lows.
Key levels
From a technical standpoint, Hariprasad said that sustaining above 23,800 could lead to further upside towards the 24,000 mark, a key psychological resistance, followed by 24,300, where previous supply and open interest clusters exist. “On the downside, 23,600 now acts as immediate support for the Nifty, while the 23,300–23,350 zone remains a strong demand base.”
“The BSE Sensex mirrored this strength, gaining over 600 points and approaching the 76,800–77,000 resistance zone. Immediate support is placed around 76,400–76,500, with 76,000 continuing to act as a strong psychological base,” Hariprasad said.