Post-Market Report: Sensex and Nifty End Higher as Financials and Auto Lead Gains — July 31, 2026

Market Performance Today

The domestic benchmarks managed to navigate a volatile session to settle in the green. The BSE Sensex climbed 166.49 points, or 0.21%, to finish the day at 78,094.64. Similarly, the NSE Nifty 50 advanced 66.45 points, or 0.27%, to settle at 24,383.60. While the indices opened with a mild positive bias, they faced resistance at higher levels due to a sharp drag from technology heavyweights, though strong buying in the financial services space provided the necessary floor.

Top Movers (Sectors and Stocks)

The market witnessed a clear divide between sectoral performances today, with cyclicals outperforming defensives and growth-oriented tech stocks.

• Top Gaining Sectors: The Nifty Media index was the standout performer, rising 2%, followed by Nifty Auto, which gained 1.64%. The Financial Services index also saw a healthy uptick of 1.31%.
• Top Losing Sectors: The IT sector was the biggest laggard, with the Nifty IT index falling approximately 2.3% as investors booked profits following a massive rally earlier in the month. The FMCG sector also traded with a negative bias.
• Top Gaining Stocks:
  • Bajaj Finance: Surged 8.32% following stellar Q1 results.
  • Bajaj Finserv: Gained 6.27% in sympathy with its subsidiary.
  • Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M): Rose 3.58% on strong demand outlook.
• Top Losing Stocks:
  • TCS: Declined 2.85% amid sector-wide profit booking.
  • Infosys: Fell 2.35% as sentiment cooled in the tech space.
  • Wipro: Dropped 1.49% tracking its larger peers.

Key Drivers of Today's Market

Several domestic and global factors influenced the market trajectory on this final trading day of July:

• Robust Corporate Earnings: Exceptional first-quarter results from heavyweights like Bajaj Finance and Mahindra & Mahindra significantly boosted investor confidence, particularly in the NBFC and Auto segments.
• Foreign Institutional Investor (FII) Inflows: Sustained buying by foreign investors provided liquidity and support. FIIs were net buyers of equities worth over ₹3,600 crore in the preceding session, maintaining a positive momentum.
• Global Cues: A strong rebound on Wall Street, driven by blowout earnings from Microsoft and other AI-centric tech giants, created a "risk-on" environment across Asian markets, though Indian IT stocks bucked this trend due to local valuation concerns.
• Easing Crude Prices: A decline in global crude oil prices acted as a tailwind for the Indian economy, helping to temper inflation fears and support the rupee.

Broader Market Performance

The broader markets outperformed the frontline indices on Friday. The Nifty Midcap 100 and Nifty Smallcap 100 indices showed resilience, with many mid-tier stocks seeing selective buying interest. Market breadth remained positive, with approximately 2,444 shares advancing against 1,607 declining on the BSE, indicating that the underlying sentiment remains constructive despite the volatility in large-cap benchmarks.

TAGS: Post-Market, Stock Market, Nifty, Sensex, Market Analysis

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