Sensex closed at 82,345, up 487 points (0.60%), and Nifty 50 ended at 25,343, gaining 167 points (0.66%).
The broader market outperformed with:
Nifty Midcap 100 up 1.66%
Nifty Smallcap 100 gaining 2.26%
Impact on the stock market
Sector-wise performance
Nifty CPSE Index surged 5%, driven by strong PSU stock performance.
Nifty Oil & Gas gained 3.4%, supported by ONGC and other energy counters.
Nifty Metal rose 2.3%, continuing its positive trend from earlier this week.
Nifty PSU Bank added 1.7%, reflecting renewed interest in public sector banks.
| Sector/Index | Performance |
| IT & BPM sector | 0.41% |
| Healthcare sector | -0.20% |
| Oil & Gas sector | 3.40% |
| Real estate sector | 1.57% |
| PSU Bank in India | 1.68% |
Top gainers today
| Company | Share Price (in ₹) | Change % |
| Bharat Elec | 453.00 | 8.91 |
| ONGC | 268.58 | 8.32 |
| Coal India | 444.05 | 5.00 |
| Eternal | 266.30 | 4.90 |
| Hindalco | 998.20 | 3.78 |
Top losers today
| Company | Share Price (in ₹) | Change % |
| TATA Cons. Prod | 1,131.80 | -4.68 |
| Asian Paints | 2,511.80 | -4.23 |
| Maruti Suzuki | 14,877.00 | -2.41 |
| Max Healthcare | 958.60 | -1.73 |
| Sun Pharma | 1,610.60 | -1.73 |
Market aftermath: Impact on stocks
BEL & defence stocks soar on policy tailwinds
Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) was the star of the day, surging 9% on the Nifty. Its Q3 results showed a 20.4% YoY rise in net profit, and 24% revenue growth. The stock hit a record high of ₹457.50, and its rally lifted the entire defence pack.
- Finalisation of the India-EU Defence Pact, which opens EU’s defence ecosystem to Indian companies.
- BEL’s solid earnings.
- Pre-budget optimism around increased capital expenditure for defence.
The Nifty India Defence Index jumped 5% and has rallied over 8% in the last two sessions.
MIC Electronics hits 10% upper circuit
Shares of MIC Electronics soared 10% to ₹38.97, after the company announced a ₹114 crore infrastructure order from Nava Raipur Atal Nagar Vikas Pradhikaran.
The order involves design, construction, and operations of a facility in Raipur and must be completed within 10 months. This announcement attracted strong volumes—2.23x above the stock’s two-week average—indicating high investor interest. MIC has seen a 15% jump in the past two days, despite being down 45% over the past year.
Maruti Suzuki: Revenue rises, stock remains shaky
Maruti Suzuki reported a 4% YoY rise in net profit to ₹3,794 crore for Q3 FY26, alongside a 29% jump in revenue to ₹49,891.5 crore. However, the numbers include a ₹593.9 crore one-time gain due to labour code changes.
- Highest-ever domestic sales at 564,669 units
- Exports at 103,100 units, including debut of the e-Vitara EV
- Operating EBITDA grew 10% YoY to ₹5,571.7 crore
Despite the impressive numbers, the stock was volatile, falling 4% post-results, recovering sharply by 6%, and then ending in the red again. Analysts believe rising input costs and margin pressures remain a concern.
Crude oil: Winter storm lifts prices, but volatility persists
Crude oil futures traded higher on Wednesday due to production disruptions caused by a severe winter storm in the US.
- Brent (April): $66.91, up 0.48%
- WTI (March): $62.76, up 0.59%
- MCX (Feb): ₹5,770, up 1.14%
The storm reportedly cut up to 2 million barrels/day of US oil production. Exports from US Gulf Coast dropped to zero on Sunday before partially recovering.
Meanwhile, API data showed a 0.25 million barrel inventory drawdown for the week ending Jan 23. Traders await official EIA data for confirmation.
Geopolitics also entered the mix, with Donald Trump warning Iraq over its political decisions. Any instability in OPEC members like Iraq could affect global supply dynamics in the short term.
Conclusion
Markets finished the day on a high, supported by PSU, energy, and defence stocks. The India-EU FTA and defence cooperation pact gave fresh fuel to policy-driven sectors, while small and midcaps rallied on budget hopes.
While Maruti’s numbers impressed on the surface, investor reaction shows expectations are high—and volatility will persist during earnings season. Rising crude and global political uncertainty also remain potential headwinds.
With the Union Budget just around the corner, expect more sharp moves across key sectors as traders and investors position themselves for policy cues.For more stock market insights, check out the StockGro blog.
