MARKET TRADES WITH SIGNIFICANT GAINS; AUTO SHARES RALLY FOR 5TH DAY

Published on May 25, 2026 12:38

The headline equity benchmarks traded with major gains in the afternoon trade, tracking a sharp fall in crude oil prices amid hopes of progress in U.S.�Iran negotiations and the possibility of an eventual deal between the two sides. Improved global risk sentiment and easing energy market concerns also supported investor confidence.

The Nifty traded above the 23,950 mark. Auto shares extended gains for the fifth consecutive trading session.

At 11:30 ST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, surged 840.73 points or 1.11% to 76,251.73. The Nifty 50 index zoomed 236.25 points or 1% to 23,955.45.

The broader market, the BSE 150 MidCap Index jumped 1.02% and the BSE 250 SmallCap Index gained 0.80%.

The market breadth was strong. On the BSE, 2,832 shares rose and 1,294 shares fell. A total of 233 shares were unchanged.

In the commodities market, Brent crude for July 2026 settlement tanked $5.03 or 4.86% to $98.51 a barrel.

Derivatives:

The NSE`s India VIX, a gauge of the market`s expectation of volatility over the near term, fell 5.09% to 17. The Nifty 26 May 2026 futures were trading at 23,967, at a premium of 11.55 points as compared with the spot at 23,955.45.

The Nifty option chain for the 26 May 2026 expiry showed a maximum call OI of 283 lakh contracts at the 24,000 strike price. Maximum put OI of 169.4 lakh contracts was seen at a 24,000 strike price.

Economy:

Fuel prices hiked for fourth time in 10 days:

Petrol and diesel prices were raised again on Monday, May 25, 2026, marking the fourth increase in fuel rates within a span of 10 days. State-run oil marketing companies increased prices by an average of Rs 2.80 per litre across the country, pushing retail fuel rates to fresh highs in major metros.

Following the latest revision, petrol in Delhi is now priced at Rs 102.12 per litre, while diesel costs Rs 95.20 per litre. In Mumbai, petrol prices climbed to Rs 111.21 per litre and diesel to Rs 97.83 per litre. Kolkata recorded petrol prices at Rs 113.51 per litre and diesel at Rs 99.82 per litre, while in Chennai, petrol and diesel are retailing at Rs 107.77 and Rs 99.55 per litre, respectively.

The latest hike comes after oil companies resumed daily fuel price revisions on May 15 following a four-year freeze. Petrol and diesel prices were first increased by Rs 3 per litre on May 15, followed by hikes of 90 paise each on May 19 and May 23. With Monday�s revision, cumulative increases in fuel prices have now reached nearly Rs 7.5 per litre in less than two weeks.

The sharp rise in fuel prices is expected to add pressure on transportation and logistics costs, raising concerns over a broader impact on retail inflation and household expenses.

Buzzing Index:

The Nifty Auto index jumped 1.58% to 26,427.40. The index rallied 3.13% in the five consecutive trading sessions.

Eicher Motors (up 5.35%), Ashok Leyland (up 3.38%), Bharat Forge (up 2.34%), Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles (up 2.08%), Mahindra & Mahindra (up 1.97%), Uno Minda (up 1.94%), Tube Investments of India (up 1.74%), Bosch (up 1.36%), Maruti Suzuki India (up 1.22%) and TVS Motor Company (up 0.89%) advanced.

On the other hand, Bajaj Auto (down 0.75%) and Samvardhana Motherson International (down 0.24%), edged lower.

Stocks in Spotlight:

JK Cement shed 0.83%. The company reported a 7.61% year-on-year decline in consolidated net profit to Rs 332.91 crore for the fourth quarter ended March 2026, compared with Rs 360.36 crore in the same period last year. Despite the fall in profit, the company�s revenue from operations grew 8.55% to Rs 3,887.50 crore during Q4 FY26, up from the corresponding quarter of FY25.

Studds Accessories rose 1.30% after the company reported a 6.08% rise in consolidated net profit to Rs 21.09 crore on an 11.88% increase in revenue from operations to Rs 167.54 crore in Q4 FY26 over Q4 FY25.

NTPC Green Energy lost 2.73% after the company reported a 15.5% YoY decline in consolidated net profit to Rs 197.05 crore in Q4 FY26 compared with Rs 233.22 crore in the same quarter last year. However, revenue from operations jumped 46.7% YoY to Rs 912.63 crore in Q4 FY26 versus Rs 622.27 crore in Q4 FY25.