Stock Market Today: Dalal Street opened on Friday with a cautiously optimistic vibe, as the Sensex and Nifty slowly tiptoed higher while traders kept one eye on global cues and the other on volatility. Banking and PSU stocks acted like the dependable mainstays of the morning, helping the benchmarks hold on to their gains. Meanwhile, IT, media, and realty counters decided to take a quiet backseat for this round. Market breadth remained supportive too, with gainers outnumbering losers, yet the sharp rise in India VIX said a lot, the mood is nowhere near relaxed. So basically, the bulls are driving the car right now, but volatility is sitting right beside them in the passenger seat with Google Maps open, just watching.
Stock Market Today : Market Snapshot (21 May, 2026)
Stock Market Opening Bell @9:15 AM
- SENSEX :75,363.99 (+180.63, 0.24%)
- NIFTY50: 23,686.80 (+32.10, 0.14%)
Sensex and Nifty opened higher, gaining 180 points and 32 points respectively, But also follwed by a fall of few points. Supported by strong global cues and positive investor sentiment across Dalal Street at the start of trading.
BY 9:19 AM
- Benchmark indices opened modestly higher despite mixed sectoral signals.
- Sensex fell to 111.36 points (0.15%) to 75,294.72.
- Nifty fell to 30.20 points (0.13%) to 23,684.90.
- Market breadth remained positive, with advances outpacing declines.
Sectorwise Performance
- Banking & PSU Banks: Led the early gains and provided support to benchmark indices.
- IT Sector: Traded weak and capped the broader market upside.
- Media Stocks: Remained under pressure in opening trade.
- Realty Sector: Saw subdued movement and lagged the market rally.
- Broader Markets: Stayed largely stable with positive market breadth.
- Volatility Index (India VIX): Jumped sharply, indicating rising nervousness among traders
Stocks To Watch Today
- ITC
- Maruti Suzuki India
- Eicher Motors
- TVS Electronics
- FSN E-Commerce Ventures (Nykaa)
- Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC)
- Welspun Corp
- HG Infra Engineering
- Vikran Engineering
Stock Market On Thursday
Indian markets witnessed a volatile session on Thursday, surrendering early gains amid expiry-day pressure and cautious investor sentiment. Rising bond yields, continued foreign institutional investor (FII) selling, and broad-based weakness weighed on the benchmarks through the day. The Sensex declined 135 points to close at 75,183, while the Nifty ended marginally lower at 23,654. Although headline losses remained limited, intraday swings reflected heightened market nervousness and uncertainty. Banking and heavyweight stocks struggled to hold momentum as traders remained cautious ahead of global cues and domestic developments. Overall, the session highlighted the market’s fragile sentiment despite a relatively stable closing on benchmark indices.
(Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as an investment advice. Prior to making an investment, conduct thorough research and consult with your financial advisor.)
Aishwarya is a journalism graduate with over 4.5 years of experience thriving in the buzzing corporate media world. She’s got a knack for decoding business news, tracking the twists and turns of the stock market, covering the masala of the entertainment world, and sometimes her stories come with just the right sprinkle of political commentary. She has worked with several organizations, interned at ZEE and gained professional skills at TV9 and News24, And now is learning and writing at NewsX, she’s no stranger to the newsroom hustle. Her storytelling style is fast-paced, creative, and perfectly tailored to connect with both the platform and its audience. Moto: Approaching every story from the reader’s point of view, backing up her insights with solid facts.
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