Stock Market LIVE Highlights: Markets End Volatile Session Lower; IT Strength Offset by Banking Weakness, Rupee Hits Record Low

Markets witness volatile tug-of-war in final stretch; indices trim early losses Sensex at 75,183.39 (-131.65 | -0.17%) Nifty at 23,606.05 (-43.90 | -0.19%) Broader market breadth stays positive despite index weakness Advances: 2,477 | Declines: 1,526 Weakness led by heavyweight stocks, not broad-based selling Rupee slips past ₹96.50/$ to fresh record low Pressure driven by strong Brent crude and geopolitical tensions IT, realty and PSU banks outperform Private banks, select consumption and defensive stocks underperform Infosys, HCL Tech, Tech Mahindra among top gainers Kotak Bank, Titan, UltraTech among top losers Overall sentiment: cautious despite selective sector strength Late profit-booking adds to pressure in final hour (The Live is closed now, Stay Tuned To NewsX...

Indian benchmark indices continued their upward momentum in afternoon trade on Tuesday, supported by strong buying in IT, realty, power and capital goods stocks. At 2:05 pm, the Sensex rose 222.30 points (0.30%) to 75,537.34, while the Nifty gained 63.60 points (0.27%) to 23,713.55. Market breadth remained firmly positive, with nearly 2,500 stocks advancing against 1,268 declines. Information Technology stocks led gains for the second consecutive session, followed by strength in broader sectors, reflecting sustained investor optimism and risk appetite across the market.

Rupee slipped further on Tuesday, May 19, hitting a fresh all-time low of 96.45 against the US dollar as pressure from rising crude oil prices and West Asia tensions kept mounting. Fears of possible disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz added fuel to the fire, unsettling currency markets and raising concerns over India’s import-heavy energy bill. With global oil benchmarks climbing, sentiment stayed weak, as traders weighed the impact on the country’s external balance. Market watchers now expect continued volatility, with geopolitics and crude movements acting like the twin “steering wheels” driving the rupee’s near-term direction. ...

Apollo Micro Systems’ shares surged over 10% as the company reported strong Q4 performance. Consolidated net profit grew 163% YoY to Rs 36.8 crore, and revenue grew 81% to Rs 293.3 crore. Strong buying by investors and optimism over its order pipeline saw the stock surge as much as Rs 357.70 intraday.

Infosys shares jumped nearly 4% to a high of ₹1,197.70 intraday at 12:07 PM on Tuesday. The stock opened higher at ₹1,162 against its previous close of ₹1,142.50.