Markets maintained their morning gains throughout the mid-session trade on Tuesday, May 19, with both the Sensex and Nifty remaining positive, driven by a surge in information technology stocks, despite pressures from the banking, cement, and telecom sectors.
As of 12:20 PM, the BSE Sensex stood at 75,640.32, up 325.28 points or 0.43 percent. The NSE Nifty 50 traded at 23,747.50, gaining 97.55 points or 0.41 percent. Market breadth on the BSE remained favorable, with 2,614 stocks advancing and 1,271 declining, while 201 stocks remained unchanged. A total of 74 stocks reached new 52-week highs, compared to 24 hitting 52-week lows. Out of 4,086 stocks traded on the BSE, 133 experienced upper circuit limits, and 128 faced lower circuits.
The Nifty’s Advance Decline Ratio was 31:18, indicating concentrated buying in specific stocks rather than a widespread market trend. On the Nifty 50, Infosys emerged as the top gainer, rising 4.04 percent to ₹1,188.60. Tech Mahindra increased by 3.61 percent to ₹1,481.60, while Tata Motors PV rose 3.30 percent to ₹364.80. TCS and Eternal also gained, increasing 2.61 percent to ₹2,342.90 and 2.58 percent to ₹247.62, respectively.
Conversely, Coal India’s decline of 1.43 percent brought its price to ₹455.50, making it the largest detractor. Kotak Mahindra Bank decreased by 1.38 percent to ₹386.40, UltraTech Cement slipped 1.33 percent to ₹11,407, and Bharti Airtel fell 1.06 percent to ₹1,917.50. Tata Consumer Products saw a smaller decline of 0.78 percent, settling at ₹1,221.40.
SBI Securities noted that the Nifty is currently experiencing trading within a defined range, with immediate support at 23,600–23,620 and resistance at 23,850–23,870. Should the index slip below 23,600, further support at 23,400–23,300 could be tested, while a breakout above 23,870 could target a rally to 24,070. Support for the Sensex is identified at 75,200, with resistance at 76,000.
On the options side, significant call writing was observed at the 23,800 and 23,900 strikes, potentially limiting upside movement. Meanwhile, the 23,700 put strike holds considerable open interest, followed closely by 23,600, indicating trader positioning aimed at maintaining the index above these thresholds through the forthcoming weekly expiry.
The India VIX, which had previously risen to 19.63, saw a reduction of over 5 percent in this session, indicating a decrease in near-term market volatility. This decline allowed equity markets to consolidate their gains rather than surrender them, as previously anticipated before the weekly expiry.
The recovery in market sentiment has been bolstered by alleviating geopolitical concerns after U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed a postponement of any potential military actions against Iran. Brent crude oil prices, which had approached $109 a barrel earlier, receded, providing relief to sectors sensitive to imports. Nevertheless, the rupee’s weakness, hovering near ₹96 per U.S. dollar, continues to constrain any significant market upsurge.
Institutional activity has shown broad support, with foreign institutional investors (FIIs) and domestic institutional investors (DIIs) remaining net buyers in recent sessions. This influx has helped stabilize the market amid pervasive global uncertainties. Key fourth-quarter earnings reports from companies like BPCL, Bharat Electronics, and Zydus Lifesciences, scheduled for later today, are expected to stimulate stock-specific movements in the latter part of the trading session.
Published on May 19, 2026.
