Nifty reclaims 24,900 as banks, RIL lead; Broader markets rebound strongly

The headline equity indices opened the week on a firm footing, with the benchmark indices posting strong gains on Monday, recovering losses from the previous session. The rally was broad-based, led by financials, energy, and midcap stocks, as investor sentiment improved amid supportive global cues and selective buying in key sectors.

The BSE Sensex rose 678 points, or 0.84%, to close at 81,796, while the NSE Nifty 50 gained 228 points, or 0.92%, to settle at 24,947, regaining the psychological 24,900 mark.

The Nifty Bank index advanced 418 points to end at 55,945, supported by buying in private and public sector lenders. Broader indices outperformed, with the Nifty Midcap 100 jumping 541 points to close at 58,769, having rebounded over 1,000 points from intraday lows.
Market breadth was slightly positive, with 46 of the 50 Nifty constituents ending in the green. Reliance Industries and major banking names were among the top contributors to the gains.

Insurance stocks saw strong buying interest, with SBI Life, HDFC Life, and Max Financial Services rising 2–3% each. Indraprastha Gas Ltd (IGL) surged over 6% following reports that the Delhi government may ease certain provisions of its electric vehicle (EV) policy.

PI Industries gained over 4% after Morgan Stanley upgraded the stock, citing improved earnings visibility. Shares of gold financiers also remained in focus, with IIFL Finance adding another 3% on continued investor interest.

Midcap names like Supreme Industries, Atul, Hindustan Copper, MCX, and GMR Airports were among the day’s top gainers. Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) hit a record high, crossing ₹400 for the first time.

HBL Power Systems rose 3% after securing a letter of award for ₹164 crore worth of Kavach railway safety orders. Belrise Industries advanced 4% following healthy Q4 earnings.

Among laggards, Tata Motors ended as the top Nifty loser, falling 4% after its UK-based unit Jaguar Land Rover issued a muted outlook for FY26. Natco Pharma declined 1% after the U.S. FDA issued one observation for its Hyderabad active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing unit.

Oil marketing companies recovered from early weakness, tracking a decline in crude prices, with Brent falling below $74 a barrel. HPCL closed nearly 3% higher, while IOC and BPCL also pared losses.

The advance-decline ratio stood at 1:1, indicating mildly positive market breadth.