Nifty gains 0.44% as PSU banks lead weekly rally

Indian equities ended the week of October 5–9, 2026, higher despite the RBI raising the repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.50% and adopting a calibrated tightening stance. Market performance Nifty 50: 22,520.45, up 0.44% for the week. Sensex: 72,472.33, up 0.78%. Bank Nifty: 55,256.65, up 1.48%. India VIX: 14.38, down 0.55%. Sector rotation: PSU Banks led with a 2.35% gain, followed by FMCG at 2.08%, Financial Services at 1.91% and IT at 1.86%. Realty declined 3.88%, Auto fell 2.48% and Metals lost 2.20%, reflecting pressure on rate-sensitive and cyclical sectors. Stocks in focus: Trent gained 13.11%, Kotak Mahindra Bank rose 5.41%, and HDFC Life Insurance advanced 4.20%. On the downside, Adani Enterprises fell 6.48%, Max Healthcare declined 6.07%, and JSW Steel lost 5.27%. Technical outlook: Nifty closed near the weekly pivot of 22,492. Immediate support is at 22,208, followed by 21,896. Resistance is placed at 22,804 and 23,088. A sustained move above resistance would strengthen the recovery, while a break below support could renew selling pressure. Breakout watch: PTC Industries and Nuvama Wealth Management closed above their identified swing-high levels. Chennai Petroleum Corporation failed to sustain its breakout, while Engineers India and Jindal Steel remained below key support levels. What to watch next: Nifty expiry on October 13, upcoming corporate earnings, the impact of tighter monetary policy and sector-specific price action. Learning outcome: Weekly index gains can conceal significant sector divergence. Tracking market breadth, relative sector strength and confirmed breakouts helps investors distinguish sustainable trends from short-lived rebounds. Disclosure: This post is for informational and educational purposes only and is not investment advice.