The Nifty 50 rose as much as 193.45 points to touch an all-time high of 26,340 during the session and closed up 182 points, or 0.7%, at 26,328.55. The BSE Sensex closed up 573 points or 0.67% at 85,762.
Here’s how analysts read the pulse of the market:
After the New Year-led holidays, global markets started 2026 on a positive note, while strong domestic automobile sales helped Indian equities touch new all-time highs, said Vinod Nair, head of research at Geojit Investments. He added that investor sentiment remains broadly constructive as the focus shifts to Q3 earnings, which are expected to guide near-term market direction.
“Supportive fiscal policies and gradual monetary easing are likely to shape the investment landscape in 2026. However, investors are focusing on large-cap stocks for stability while selectively exploring mid-cap opportunities in cyclical sectors and sectors driven by domestic growth,” Nair said.
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US markets
U.S. stocks were mixed on Friday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 closing higher to start 2026 and snapping a four-session slide, as gains in Boeing along with strength in chipmakers such as Nvidia and Intel helped bolster sentiment.
The Dow closed up 319.10 points, or 0.66%, at 48,382.39, while the S&P 500 added 12.97 points, or 0.19%, to 6,858.47. The Nasdaq Composite fell 6.36 points, or 0.03%, to 23,235.63.
European markets
European stocks started 2026 strongly, climbing to record levels on Friday and extending last year’s rally, as gains in technology and defense stocks lifted regional markets.
The pan-European STOXX 600 index rose 0.7% to 596.14, leaving it within striking distance of the closely watched 600 level as investors returned from the New Year break. The benchmark also posted its third consecutive weekly gain.
Tech View
The index has broken above its previous swing high, reinforcing the bullish bias, and a bullish crossover of the 20-day and 50-day EMAs reinforces the upside structure, said Rupak De, senior technical analyst at LKP Securities. He added that the daily RSI has broken out of its previous consolidation phase, indicating an increase in momentum.
“The trend is expected to remain strong in the near term, as long as the index sustains above 26,000, a buy-on-dips approach will be in favor of the bulls. On the upside, a decisive move above 26,350 could open the door for a move towards 26,600 in the short term,” said Day.
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Most active stocks by turnover
ITC (Rs 4,153 crore), Hindustan Copper (Rs 2,265 crore), Vodafone Idea (Rs 1,711 crore), IDBI Bank (Rs 1,515 crore), Coal India Limited (Rs 1,476 crore), Godfrey Phillips (Rs 1,311 crore) and Transformers (Rs 1,311 crore). crore) were the most active stocks on the BSE in terms of value. High activity in terms of value helps identify stocks with the highest trading turnover during the session.
Most active stocks by volume
Vodafone Idea (shares traded: 144.64 crore), Ola Electric Mobility (28.5 crore), IDBI Bank (13.5 crore), ITC (11.87 crore), Yes Bank (11.48 crore), SJVN (8.22 crore) and Suzlon Energy (5.95 crore) were among the most actively traded stocks on the NSE.
Stocks show interest in buying
Shares of SJVN, IDBI Bank, Transformers & Rectifiers, Bosch, Ola Electric Mobility, Coal India Ltd and JBM Auto saw strong buying interest from market participants.
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52-week high and low
More than 185 stocks touched their 52-week highs on Friday, while 83 slipped to their 52-week lows. Maruti Suzuki and Mahindra & Mahindra touch new 52-week highs.
Selling pressure is seen in stocks
Stocks that saw significant selling pressure included ITC, Nestle India, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Axis Bank, Bharti Airtel, Interglobe Aviation and Ultratech Cement.
Sentiment Meter: Bullish
The market sentiment was bullish. Of the 4,371 stocks traded on BSE on Friday, 2,711 advanced, 1,524 declined and 136 remained unchanged.
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(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, opinions and views given by experts are their own. These do not represent the views of Economic Times)
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