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Informist, Thursday, May 21, 2026

 

By Arundathi A R

 

MUMBAI – Headline stock indices closed marginally lower Thursday after volatile trade in the final hour of the session. The Nifty 50 index ended largely flat, with losses in information technology and fast-moving consumer goods stocks preventing it from ending in the green. The indices rose in early trade after US President Donald Trump said talks with Iran were in the final stages. Lower crude oil prices, with Brent crude near $104 a barrel, also supported the indices early in the session.
 

The Nifty 50 closed at 23654.70, down 4.30 points. The BSE Sensex settled 0.2% lower at 75183.36, down 135.03 points. "Lack of fresh triggers is the main reason behind this kind of choppy trade for the last few days," said Vipin Kumar, derivatives and technical analyst at Globe Capital Market.

 

Barring the Nifty midcap 50 and Nifty midcap 100, broader market indices ended higher. Most of them outperformed benchmark peers by settling around 1% higher each. The India VIX signalled an easing of investor nervousness, with the volatility index settling 3.4% lower at 17.8225.

 

Information technology stocks and FMCG shed most gains in the 50-stock index. Tech Mahindra and Infosys ended over 1% lower. The Nifty IT index was the biggest laggard among sectoral indices, down 0.6%. 

 

FMCG stocks Hindustan Unilever, Tata Consumer Products, and Nestle India were also major drags on the index, with stocks down around 1?ch. Hindustan Unilever was the second-biggest laggard, after Bajaj Finance. The Nifty FMCG, which ended 0.5% lower, was the biggest drag after Nifty IT. 

 

Financial services and banking stocks also weighed on the Nifty 50. Bajaj Finance settled 1.7% lower, while Bajaj Finserv, Shriram Finance, Kotak Mahindra Bank, and SBI Life Insurance Co. ended 0.2–1.1% down.  

 

Jubilant FoodWorks ended as the biggest laggard in the Nifty 200 index. The stock ended 7.8% lower after the company reported weak earnings for the March quarter. The company guided a 5–7% same-store sales growth for Domino's India in the medium term, but the Street believes near-term headwinds will make it difficult for the company to meet the forecast. It was also among the major losers in the Nifty 500 index.

 

PI Industries and Bosch were also major losers in both the Nifty 200 and the Nifty 500. PI Industries ended 5.5% lower, falling sharply for the second day after the company reported weaker-than-expected net profit for the March quarter.

 

Bosch ended 4.4% lower after the company's net profit for the March quarter was hit by higher expenses, particularly an increase in material costs.

 

Grasim Industries ended the session as the top-gainer in the Nifty 50 after the company announced its March quarter results Wednesday. Despite the company reporting a net loss for the quarter, the stock rose after brokerages took a bullish view on improved performance in the paints business. Shares of Grasim ended 6.1% higher and were among the highest gainers in the Nifty 200 index. InterGlobe Aviation was the second-biggest gainer in the 50-stock index, up 3.3%.

 

Shares of Tata Communications ended 6.8% higher and were a major gainer in the Nifty 200.

 

Select healthcare and pharmaceutical stocks also contributed to the index's gains. Shares of Apollo Hospitals Enterprise closed 2.9% higher and those of Max Healthcare Institute closed 1.4% higher. Sun Pharmaceutical Industries ended 0.6% higher. The Nifty healthcare index ended 0.4% higher.

 

Honeywell Automation India, which settled with nearly 16% gains, was the top performer in the Nifty 500 index. The stock rose after the company reported healthy March quarter results. It posted a net profit of INR 1.60 billion for the March quarter, up over 14% on year. Its revenue rose nearly 6% to INR 11.81 billion. Shares of Honeywell Automation closed higher for the fifth time in the last six sessions.

 

IRB Infrastructure Samman Capital rose 8–9%. IRB's shares rose after the company's management said it expects sustainable long-term growth from its diversified portfolio.

 

* Of the Nifty 50 stocks, 25 rose, 24 fell, 1 unchanged

* Of the Sensex stocks, 13 rose, 17 fell

* On the NSE, 1,910 stocks rose, 1,374 fell, and 97 were unchanged

* On the BSE, 2,426 stocks rose, 1,745 fell, and 208 were unchanged
* Nifty IT: down 0.6%; Nifty FMCG: down 0.5%; Nifty Realty: up 1.1%

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BSE                                             NSE

Sensex: 75183.36, down 135.03 points or 0.2%    Nifty 50: 23654.70, down 4.30 points or 0.02%

 

S&P BSE Sensitive Index	Nifty 50
Lifetime High: 86159.02 (Dec. 1, 2025)	: Lifetime High: 26373.20 (Jan. 5, 2026)
Record Close High: 85836.12 (Sept. 26, 2024)	: Record Close High: 26328.55 (Jan. 2, 2026)
2026 1st day close: 85188.60 (Jan. 1)	: 2026 1st day close: 26146.55 (Jan. 1)
2026 Closing High: 85762.01 (Jan. 2)	: 2026 Closing High: 26328.55 (Jan. 2)
2026 Closing Low: 71947.55 (Mar. 30)	: 2026 Closing Low: 22331.40 (Mar. 30)
2026 High (intraday): 85883.50 (Jan. 5)	: 2026 High (intraday): 26373.20 (Jan. 5)
2026 Low (intraday): 71545.81 (Apr. 1)	: 2026 Low (intraday): 22182.55 (Apr.2)
2025 1st day close: 78507.41 (Jan. 1)	: 2025 1st day close: 23742.90 (Jan. 1)
2025 Closing High: 85720.38 (Nov. 27)	: 2025 Closing High: 26215.55 (Nov. 27)
2025 Closing Low: 72989.93 (Mar. 4)	: 2025 Closing Low: 22082.65 (Mar. 4)
2025 High (intraday): 86159.02 (Dec. 1)	: 2025 High (intraday): 26325.80 (Dec.1)
2025 Low (intraday): 71425.01 (Apr. 7)	: 2025 Low (intraday): 21743.65 (Apr. 7)
2024 1st day close: 72271.94 (Jan. 1)	: 2024 1st day close: 21741.90 (Jan. 1)
2024 Closing High: 85836.12 (Sept. 26)	: 2024 Closing High: 26216.05 (Sept. 26)
2024 Closing Low: 70370.55 (Jan. 23)	: 2024 Closing Low: 21238.80 (Jan. 23)
2024 High (intraday): 85978.25 (Sep. 27)	: 2024 High (intraday): 26277.35 (Sept. 27)
2024 Low (intraday): 70001.60 (Jan. 24)	: 2024 Low (intraday): 21137.20 (Jan. 24)
2023 1st day close: 61167.79 (Jan. 2)	: 2023 1st day close: 18197.45 (Jan. 2)
2023 Closing High: 72410.38 (Dec. 28)	: 2023 Closing High: 21778.70 (Dec. 28)
2023 Closing Low: 59288.35 (Feb. 27)	: 2023 Closing Low: 17311.80 (Oct. 17)
2023 High (intraday): 72484.34 (Dec. 28)	: 2023 High (intraday): 21801.45 (Dec. 28)
2023 Low (intraday): 58699.20 (Jan. 30)	: 2023 Low (intraday): 17098.55 (Jan. 17)
2022 1st day close: 59183.22 (Jan. 3)	: 2022 1st day close: 17625.70 (Jan. 3)
2022 Closing High: 63284.19 (Dec. 1)	: 2022 Closing High: 18812.50 (Dec. 1)
2022 Closing Low: 51360.42 (Jun. 17)	: 2022 Closing Low: 15293.50 (Jun. 17)
2022 High (intraday): 63583.07 (Dec. 1)	: 2022 High (intraday): 18887.60 (Dec. 1)
2022 Low (intraday): 50921.22 (Jun. 17)	: 2022 Low (intraday): 15183.40 (Jun. 17)
2021 Closing High: 61305.95 (Oct. 14)	: 2021 Closing High: 18338.55 (Oct. 14)
2021 Closing Low: 46285.77 (Jan. 29)	: 2021 Closing Low: 13634.60 (Jan. 29)
2021 High (intraday): 61353.25 (Oct. 14)	: 2021 High (intraday): 18350.75 (Oct. 14)
2021 Low (intraday): 46160.46 (Jan. 29)	: 2021 Low (intraday): 13596.75 (Jan. 29)
2020 Closing High: 47751.33 (Dec. 31)	: 2020 Closing High: 13981.95 (Dec. 30)
2020 Closing Low: 25981.24 (Mar. 23)	: 2020 Closing Low: 7610.25 (Mar. 23)
2020 High (intraday): 47896.97 (Dec. 31)	: 2020 High (intraday): 14024.85 (Dec. 31)
2020 Low (intraday): 25638.90 (Mar. 24)	: 2020 Low (intraday): 7511.10 (Mar. 24)
2019 High (intraday): 41809.96 (Dec. 20)	: 2019 High (intraday): 12293.90 (Dec. 20)
2019 Low (intraday): 35287.16 (Feb. 19)	: 2019 Low (intraday): 10583.65 (Jan. 29)
2018 High (intraday): 38938.91(Aug. 28))	: 2018 High(intraday): 11760.20 (Aug. 28)
2018 Low (intraday): 32483.8 (Mar. 23)	: 2018 Low (intraday): 9951.9 (Mar. 23)
2017 High (intraday): 34005.37 (Dec. 26)	: 2017 High(intraday): 10515.10 (Dec. 26)

 

End

 

US$1 = INR 96.20

IST, or Indian Standard Time, is five-and-a-half hours ahead of GMT

 

Edited by Saji George Titus

 

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