The benchmark Sensex closed at 81,018.72, marking a rise of 0.52% or 418.81 points. Meanwhile, Nifty50 followed suit, gaining 0.64% or 157.40 points, settling at 24,722.75.
This upward movement was mostly fueled by solid earnings and positive market developments, especially with Q1 earnings season kicking in.
Broader indices outperformed the benchmark indices, with the Nifty Midcap 100 up 1.40% and the Nifty SmallCap closing 1.27% higher.
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Impact on the stock market
Nifty Metal: The top-performing sector today, up by 2.45%.
Nifty IT and Auto: Both sectors were also strong performers, rising 1.6% each.
Nifty FMCG: The only sector to end in the red, down 0.1%.
| Sector/Index | Performance |
| IT & BPM sector | 1.60% |
| Healthcare sector | 0.57% |
| Oil & Gas sector | 0.55% |
| Real estate sector | 1.77% |
| PSU Bank in India | 1.26% |
Top gainers today
| Company | Price (in ₹) | Change % |
| Hero Motocorp Share Price | 4,509.90 | 4.60 |
| Tata Steel Share Price | 159.40 | 4.18 |
| Bharat Elec Share Price | 389.35 | 3.22 |
| Adani Ports Share Price | 1,386.40 | 2.92 |
| JSW Steel Share Price | 1,053.80 | 2.53 |
Top losers today
| Company | Price (in ₹) | Change % |
| Power Grid Corp Share Price | 287.95 | -1.13 |
| HDFC Bank Share Price | 1,992.00 | -1.00 |
| ONGC Share Price | 234.83 | -0.83 |
| Apollo Hospital Share Price | 7,308.00 | -0.59 |
| ICICI Bank Share Price | 1,463.20 | -0.57 |
Market aftermath: Impact on stocks
Ather Energy: Narrowing losses with strong demand
Ather Energy reported its Q1 FY26 results with a narrowed loss of ₹178 crore, a slight improvement from ₹183 crore last year. Despite this, the company saw significant growth in its sales, particularly its popular Rizta e-scooter, which contributed to nearly 60% of its sales.
This marked the second consecutive quarter of narrowing losses for the company, which indicates that its strategy of expanding its retail footprint and focusing on family-friendly vehicles is working. Ather’s revenue for the quarter surged 78.8% to ₹645 crore, and its strong performance in southern India will likely help the company grow its market share across other regions.
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Aditya Birla Capital: A steady rise in lending
Aditya Birla Capital reported a 10.03% year-on-year increase in net profit, reaching ₹835.08 crore for Q1 FY26. The company’s lending portfolio grew by 30% year-on-year, amounting to ₹1,65,832 crore. It also saw a 5% increase in its quarter-on-quarter lending portfolio.
What stands out is the impressive growth in its life and health insurance segments, where individual premiums and gross written premiums both surged by 23% and 30%, respectively. This demonstrates the strength of Aditya Birla Capital’s diversified business model, with its insurance segment providing steady cash flow.
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Marico: Strong growth in cooking oils and hair oils
Consumer goods company Marico also posted strong results, with its net profit rising by 9% to ₹504 crore in the first quarter. This was driven by steady demand for its Saffola cooking oils and Parachute hair oils, with domestic volumes growing 9% in the quarter.
Marico passed on the benefits of the recent import duty reduction on edible oils, which helped boost its revenue in the cooking oil segment by 28%. The company’s efforts to mitigate the impact of rising commodity costs were evident in its price hikes, which contributed to its strong topline despite a slight dip in demand for its other products.
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Crude oil: A dip after OPEC’s production hike
In commodities, crude oil futures took a hit following an announcement from OPEC+ to hike production for September. August crude oil futures were trading lower at ₹5,869 on MCX, a 0.31% drop compared to the previous session’s close. Similarly, Brent oil and WTI futures were down by 0.37% and 0.28%, respectively.
OPEC’s decision to increase production for the first time after cutting back output in previous months was driven by the steady global economic outlook and healthy market fundamentals. However, there is caution regarding potential disruptions to global oil flows, especially with the U.S. administration’s threats to impose penalties on India for purchasing Russian oil.
While the increased output may ease concerns about tight supplies in the short term, market analysts warn that ongoing geopolitical tensions could lead to volatility in the coming months.
Conclusion
Today’s market performance reflected a mix of optimism and caution. The gains in the Sensex and Nifty50 were driven by strong sectoral performances, particularly in metals, IT, and autos. On the corporate front, companies like Ather Energy, Aditya Birla Capital, and Marico reported strong results, indicating that despite global uncertainties, some sectors are continuing to thrive.
However, the drop in crude oil futures and the impact of OPEC+’s decision to hike output serves as a reminder that the market remains sensitive to global supply and demand factors. For now, investors are keeping a close eye on Q1 earnings, sector performance, and monetary policy as key indicators of the market’s future direction.
For more stock market insights, check out the StockGro blog.
