Stock Market Today (25 August 2026): Sensex Jumps 287 Points, Nifty Reclaims 24,300 as Pharma and PSU Banks Lead Recovery

The Indian stock market staged a strong recovery on 25 August 2026, reversing early losses and ending the session firmly in positive territory.

The BSE Sensex gained 286.98 points, or 0.37%, to close at 77,656.09. The Nifty 50 advanced 115.50 points, or 0.48%, to settle at 24,334.55.

The session was highly volatile because it coincided with the monthly F&O expiry. The Nifty initially declined and touched an intraday low of approximately 24,115.45, but buying at lower levels helped the index recover more than 200 points from the day's low.

The Nifty eventually closed at 24,334.55, which was also the day's high according to market data, highlighting the strength of the late-session recovery.

The recovery came despite mixed global cues and continued geopolitical uncertainty. Falling crude oil prices and a stronger rupee helped improve sentiment, while short covering during the expiry session added to the final-hour rally.

The broader market was mixed. The Nifty Midcap 100 gained around 0.54%, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 declined around 0.10%. The Midcap 100 also touched a fresh all-time high during the session.

𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀

• Sensex closed at 77,656.09, up 286.98 points.
• Nifty 50 ended at 24,334.55, up 115.50 points.
• Nifty gained around 0.48%.
• Sensex gained around 0.37%.
• Nifty reclaimed the important 24,300 level.
• Nifty recovered more than 200 points from the day's low.
• Nifty touched an intraday low near 24,115.45.
• Nifty closed at its intraday high of 24,334.55.
• Monthly F&O expiry contributed to heightened volatility.
• Nifty Midcap 100 gained around 0.54%.
• Nifty Smallcap 100 declined around 0.10%.
• Nifty Pharma gained around 0.85%.
• Nifty PSU Bank gained around 0.75%.
• Nifty Infra gained around 0.63%.
• Nifty IT gained around 0.57%.
• Nifty Media gained around 0.42%.
• Metal and Energy indices were among the weaker sectors.
• FII cash-market buying was approximately ₹1,593.53 crore.
• DII cash-market buying was approximately ₹230.26 crore.
• Rupee strengthened to around ₹95.41–₹95.44 per US dollar.
• Brent crude moved below the $90 per barrel level.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗲?

𝗕𝘂𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁 𝗟𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘀

The biggest factor behind Tuesday's recovery was strong buying at lower levels.

The Nifty opened under pressure and fell towards 24,115, but investors stepped in as the index approached the 24,100 zone.

This buying helped the market recover steadily during the afternoon and eventually triggered a sharp final-hour rally.

The Nifty recovered approximately 219 points from its intraday low before closing at the day's high.

𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗶𝗿𝘆 𝗗𝗮𝘆

The monthly derivatives expiry played an important role in the sharp recovery.

After the Nifty moved below 24,200 in the morning, traders holding short positions began covering positions as the index reclaimed important levels.

The final-hour buying became particularly strong once the index crossed 24,250–24,300.

This helped the Nifty finish at 24,334.55, its highest level of the day.

𝗙𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗿𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝗢𝗶𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀

Crude oil prices provided another positive trigger.

Brent crude declined below $90 per barrel, easing concerns about India's import bill and inflation.

The fall in oil prices was particularly important for India because lower crude prices can reduce pressure on the rupee, inflation and the country's external balance.

𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗲

The Indian rupee also strengthened during the session.

The rupee settled around ₹95.41–₹95.44 per US dollar, gaining roughly 26–33 paise from the previous session depending on the reference closing data.

A stronger rupee supported sentiment because it can reduce the domestic impact of imported crude and other dollar-denominated commodities.

𝗙𝗜𝗜 𝗕𝘂𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴

Foreign institutional investors also remained supportive.

FIIs recorded net cash-market buying of approximately ₹1,593.53 crore, marking their second consecutive session of net buying.

This was a notable change from the persistent foreign selling seen during much of the recent market weakness.

𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀

𝗣𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗮

Pharma stocks were among the strongest sectoral performers.

The Nifty Pharma index gained around 0.85%.

Healthcare and pharma stocks attracted buying interest as investors looked for defensive sectors amid continued geopolitical and global-market uncertainty.

Several major pharma companies also contributed to the sector's positive performance.

𝗣𝗦𝗨 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀

PSU Bank stocks also performed strongly.

The Nifty PSU Bank index gained around 0.75%.

Buying interest in State Bank of India and other public-sector lenders helped the sector recover after recent weakness.

The sector's performance was particularly notable because PSU Banks had been under pressure during the previous session.

𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲

The Nifty Infra index gained around 0.63%.

Infrastructure-related stocks participated in the broader recovery as investors returned to cyclical sectors.

𝗜𝗧

IT stocks also recovered.

The Nifty IT index gained around 0.57%.

Infosys and HCL Technologies were among the large-cap IT stocks contributing to the recovery.

𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮

The Nifty Media index gained around 0.42%.

The sector participated in the broader risk-on move, although gains were smaller compared with Pharma and PSU Banks.

𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀

Financial Services stocks also showed relative strength.

The broader Financial Services index gained around 0.90% according to market-sector data.

𝗪𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀

𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗹𝘀

Metal stocks remained relatively weak.

The Nifty Metal index ended approximately 0.07% lower.

This was notable because Metal stocks had been among the strongest performers during the previous session.

𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆

The Energy sector also remained weak.

The Nifty Energy index declined around 0.07%, partly reflecting the impact of falling crude oil prices on selected energy companies.

𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀

Private banking stocks were comparatively subdued.

The Bank Nifty closed almost flat, while the Private Bank segment lagged the PSU Bank recovery.

This created a noticeable divergence between public-sector and private-sector banking stocks during the session.

𝗧𝗼𝗽 𝗚𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀

The major Nifty gainers included:

• Adani Enterprises
• InterGlobe Aviation
• Max Healthcare
• Apollo Hospitals
• Adani Ports
• HCL Technologies
• Infosys
• Shriram Finance
• Bajaj Finance
• State Bank of India

Adani Enterprises gained around 3.72%, making it one of the strongest Nifty performers.

InterGlobe Aviation gained around 2.01%, while Max Healthcare advanced around 2.57% and Apollo Hospitals gained around 2.15%.

HCL Technologies, Infosys, Shriram Finance and SBI also contributed positively.

𝗧𝗼𝗽 𝗟𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘀

The major losers across the broader market included:

• Federal Bank
• Hindustan Copper
• Oil India
• Hindustan Zinc
• Power India
• Dalmia Bharat
• Hindalco Industries
• Coal India

Hindustan Copper declined around 7.23% after the government announced an offer for sale of up to 6% stake.

Federal Bank was also among the notable losers, while Oil India and Hindustan Zinc remained under pressure.

𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀

𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗶 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀

Adani Enterprises was one of the strongest Nifty performers.

The stock gained around 3.72% and made a significant positive contribution to the benchmark.

The strength in Adani Enterprises helped support the Nifty during the final-hour recovery.

𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗲 𝗔𝘃𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

InterGlobe Aviation gained around 2.01%.

The stock was among the notable large-cap gainers during the session as investors increased exposure to selected travel and aviation counters.

𝗠𝗮𝘅 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲

Max Healthcare advanced around 2.57%.

Healthcare stocks were among the strongest areas of the market, with Max Healthcare and Apollo Hospitals both performing well.

𝗔𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹𝘀

Apollo Hospitals gained around 2.15%.

The stock benefited from broad-based buying in the healthcare segment and contributed to the strength in the Pharma and Healthcare space.

𝗛𝗖𝗟 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀

HCL Technologies gained around 1.30%.

The stock's recovery was part of a broader rebound in IT stocks, with the Nifty IT index gaining around 0.57%.

𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝘀𝘆𝘀

Infosys gained around 1.24%.

The stock provided support to the Nifty as technology stocks recovered from recent weakness.

𝗦𝗵𝗿𝗶𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲

Shriram Finance gained around 1.74%.

The stock was among the financial-sector names that participated in the broader recovery.

𝗛𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗿

Hindustan Copper was one of the biggest losers in the broader market.

The stock fell around 7.23% following the government's announcement of an offer for sale of up to 6% stake.

The sharp decline made Hindustan Copper one of the day's most closely watched stocks.

𝗙𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗸

Federal Bank declined around 3%.

The stock remained under pressure amid developments around Jana Small Finance Bank and broader weakness in selected private-sector banking names.

𝗕𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲

The broader market delivered a mixed performance.

The Nifty Midcap 100 gained around 0.54%, reaching a fresh all-time high of approximately 64,162.90.

The Nifty Smallcap 100 declined around 0.10%.

The strength in Midcaps showed that domestic investors continued to find opportunities outside the large-cap benchmark stocks.

However, overall market breadth remained mixed to slightly negative.

On the BSE, approximately 2,105 stocks advanced, while 2,218 stocks declined and around 202 remained unchanged.

This indicates that the benchmark recovery was stronger than the broader breadth suggested.

𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆

Institutional flows were supportive on 25 August.

Foreign Institutional Investors recorded net buying of approximately ₹1,593.53 crore in the cash market.

Domestic Institutional Investors were also net buyers, though their net buying was much smaller at around ₹230.26 crore.

The combined institutional flow was therefore approximately ₹1,824 crore of net buying.

The most important development was that FIIs recorded their second consecutive session of net buying, suggesting some improvement in foreign investor sentiment after the recent selling pressure.

𝗥𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗿𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝗢𝗶𝗹

The Indian rupee strengthened sharply on Tuesday.

The rupee settled around ₹95.41–₹95.44 per US dollar, gaining roughly 26 paise from the previous session.

The currency benefited from falling crude oil prices, a weaker US dollar and positive domestic equity-market sentiment.

Crude oil was another important positive factor.

Brent crude moved below $90 per barrel during the session after reports of progress in discussions involving Pakistan and Iran helped reduce some concerns around geopolitical supply disruptions.

Lower oil prices provided relief to India because cheaper crude can reduce the import bill and ease inflationary pressure.

𝗨𝗦-𝗜𝗿𝗮𝗻 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀

Geopolitical developments remained an important market factor.

The US had announced new sanctions targeting Iran, but the market response was less severe than initially feared.

Investors were particularly focused on whether the sanctions would lead to further disruption around the Strait of Hormuz.

The absence of an immediate major supply disruption helped crude prices cool below $90, which in turn supported Indian equities.

𝗙&𝗢 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗶𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗩𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆

25 August was the monthly F&O expiry day, making the session particularly volatile.

The Nifty moved between approximately 24,115 and 24,335, giving traders a wide intraday range of around 219 points.

The strong recovery in the final hour suggested significant short covering after the index crossed key option levels around 24,250–24,300.

India VIX also declined by around 4%, indicating that near-term market fear eased as the Nifty recovered.

𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗖𝘂𝗲𝘀

Global markets remained mixed.

US technology stocks had faced selling pressure due to concerns surrounding AI-related pricing and upcoming Nvidia earnings.

The Nasdaq had declined around 1% in the previous session, while semiconductor stocks were among the major losers.

However, falling crude oil prices and lower Treasury yields subsequently helped improve global risk sentiment.

Investors also remained focused on the upcoming Jackson Hole event and Federal Reserve policy signals.

𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸

The Nifty closed at 24,334.55, decisively reclaiming the 24,300 level.

The recovery from 24,115 to 24,334 created a strong bullish daily candle.

The immediate support zone is now around 24,200–24,250.

The 50-day moving average around 24,200 is also an important technical support area.

If the Nifty sustains above 24,300, the next upside targets could be 24,400–24,500.

A decisive move above 24,500 could further improve the short-term market structure.

On the downside, a break below 24,200 could weaken the recovery and bring 24,100–24,000 back into focus.

Technical analysts therefore see 24,200 as an important level for maintaining the short-term bullish momentum.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁

Investors will closely monitor:

• Nifty's ability to sustain above 24,300
• Support around 24,200
• Crude oil prices below or above $90
• US-Iran geopolitical developments
• Strait of Hormuz developments
• Rupee movement around ₹95.50–₹96
• FII buying trend
• DII activity
• Nvidia earnings
• Federal Reserve commentary
• Jackson Hole developments
• IT sector performance
• Pharma stocks
• PSU Bank stocks
• Nifty Midcap performance

𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸

The short-term market outlook improved significantly after the strong recovery on 25 August.

The Nifty reclaimed 24,300 after briefly falling below 24,150 during the morning.

The strong recovery was supported by lower crude oil prices, a stronger rupee, FII buying and short covering on the monthly expiry.

The Midcap index also reaching a fresh all-time high indicates that domestic risk appetite remains relatively strong.

However, investors should not ignore the risks.

Geopolitical uncertainty, global technology-sector volatility, crude oil prices and upcoming US economic signals can continue to create sharp market swings.

Long-term investors should continue focusing on fundamentally strong companies rather than reacting to expiry-day volatility.

Short-term traders should closely monitor the 24,200–24,500 range and maintain disciplined risk management.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁?

If the Nifty sustains above 24,300, the index could attempt a move towards 24,400–24,500.

A decisive breakout above 24,500 could signal further short-term strength.

If crude oil remains below $90 and geopolitical tensions continue to ease, market sentiment could improve further.

On the other hand, a fall below 24,200 could weaken the recovery and bring 24,100–24,000 into focus.

The performance of Pharma, PSU Banks, IT and Infrastructure stocks will be important after their strong performance on 25 August.

Investors will also watch whether FII buying continues in the coming sessions.

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻

The Indian stock market staged a strong recovery on 25 August 2026, with the Sensex gaining 286.98 points and the Nifty rising 115.50 points.

The Sensex closed at 77,656.09, while the Nifty settled at 24,334.55.

The market initially declined sharply, with the Nifty falling to around 24,115, but strong buying at lower levels and short covering during the monthly F&O expiry helped the index recover more than 200 points and close at its intraday high.

Pharma, PSU Banks, Infrastructure and IT were among the strongest sectors. Nifty Pharma gained around 0.85%, PSU Banks around 0.75%, Infra around 0.63% and IT around 0.57%.

Adani Enterprises, InterGlobe Aviation, Max Healthcare, Apollo Hospitals and HCL Technologies were among the notable gainers. Adani Enterprises gained around 3.72%, while Max Healthcare and Apollo Hospitals gained around 2.57% and 2.15%, respectively.

In the broader market, Hindustan Copper was one of the biggest losers, falling around 7.23% after the government announced an offer for sale of up to 6% stake.

Institutional flows were supportive, with FIIs buying around ₹1,593.53 crore and DIIs buying around ₹230.26 crore.

The rupee strengthened to around ₹95.41–₹95.44 per dollar, while Brent crude fell below $90 per barrel, providing additional relief to Indian markets.

Going forward, the 24,300 level will remain important for the Nifty. Sustaining above this level could open the way towards 24,400–24,500, while a fall below 24,200 could bring renewed selling pressure.