Aether Industries surged to a new 52-week high of Rs.954.5 on January 2, 2026, rising 5.41% in a session and extending its four-day rally to 13.93%. The specialty chemicals stock outperformed its sector by 5.17%, trades above all key moving averages, and is backed by 16.14% YoY operating profit growth and Rs.100.09 crore cash flow.
Meera Industries approved a 1:2 stock split, turning each Rs. 10 share into 2 shares of Rs. 5 each, pending shareholder approval. The stock was quoting at Rs. 62.95, up 0.06%, with volumes at 16,146 shares, 38.05% below the five-day average, and market cap at Rs. 67.22 crore. Meanwhile, MCX adjusted to a 1:5 split, with shares jumping 4% to a fresh 52-week high of Rs. 2,278, despite an apparent 80% plunge on paper.
IDBI Bank surged 5.01% to Rs 108.95, hitting a 52-week high of Rs 109.90 as 1.13 million shares changed hands in a block, 231.13% above its five-day average. Tata Steel rose 0.58% to Rs 182.90, with 1.01 million shares traded in a block. Both stocks drew strong investor interest amid active market action.
Oil edged higher on 2026’s first trading day after its biggest annual loss since 2020, with Brent at $60.99 and WTI at $57.56 per barrel, both up 14 cents. Meanwhile, the U.S. dollar started soft after its sharpest 8-year drop, with the euro steady at $1.1752 and the yen near 10-month lows at 156.74 per dollar.
Kolkata-based Yajur Fibres, a cottonised bast fibre producer, will open its IPO on January 7 with a price band of Rs. 168-174 per share. The company aims to raise Rs. 120.4 crore by offering 69.2 lakh fresh shares, marking its maiden public issue and creating new investment opportunities for traders and stock market investors.
Hyundai Motor India’s total sales rose 6.6% YoY to 58,702 units, with domestic sales at 42,416 units and exports surging 26.5% to 16,286 units. Shares fell 1.94% to Rs. 2,266.35. Bajaj Auto’s total sales grew 14% YoY to 3.69 lakh units, exports up 25% at 2 lakh units, while stock slipped 0.44% to Rs. 9,518.85.
South Indian Bank’s gross advances rose 11.27% YoY to Rs. 96,765 crore, with deposits up 12.17% to Rs. 1.18 lakh crore and CASA at Rs. 37,640 crore. Shares climbed 2.16% to Rs. 38.75. Indian Bank’s total business surged 13.4% to Rs. 14.30 lakh crore, gross advances up 14.5%, deposits at Rs. 7.90 lakh crore, stock up 2.36% to Rs. 852.20.
RailTel Corporation of India received a Letter of Acceptance from AHIDMS for a Hospital Management Information System order worth Rs. 56.71 crore. Shares rose 1% to Rs. 374.40, trading between Rs. 373.55–379.20 with volumes of 57,096, down 84.40% from the five-day average. The stock is 21.8% below its 52-week high of Rs. 478.80.
Sandur Manganese and Iron Ores surged 3.70% to Rs. 253.55, touching a 52-week high of Rs. 266.75, with volumes at 725,084 shares, up 76.14% from the five-day average. Punjab & Sind Bank climbed 2.6% following a 9.3% rise in total deposits and a 15.25% jump in gross advances for October-December, reflecting strong banking momentum.
Aurobindo Pharma’s subsidiary, Auro Pharma, approved acquiring Khandelwal Laboratories’ non-oncology prescription formulations business for Rs. 325 crore. Shares rose 1.35% to Rs. 1,209.00, touching an intraday high of Rs. 1,212.55 and low of Rs. 1,192.80, with volumes at 10,853. The stock trades 10.38% below its 52-week high of Rs. 1,349 and 21.59% above its 52-week low.
Bajaj Finance rose 1.90% to Rs. 990.70 after DAM Capital upgraded the stock to ‘buy’ with a target of Rs. 1,120, even as volumes dipped 82.22%. Thyrocare Technologies gained 2.48% to Rs. 459.05 on Phillip Securities’ ‘buy’ call with a Rs. 640 target, trading 109.3% above its 52-week low.
CESC jumped 3.29% to Rs. 172.65, its strongest move in 10 weeks, with volumes soaring 166.14% and the stock trading 45.08% above its 52-week low. Coal India gained 3.86% to Rs. 415.80, near its 52-week high of Rs. 417.25, backed by 69.13% higher volumes and a market cap of Rs. 256,246.24 crore.
ITC slid 3.97% to Rs. 349.50 after Prabhudas Lilladher cut the stock to ‘reduce’ with a Rs. 348 target, hitting a 52-week low of Rs. 345.35 amid 63.88% lower volumes. KPIT Technologies eased 0.41% to Rs. 1,158.45 as Goldman Sachs maintained a ‘neutral’ stance, projecting 1.8% QoQ Q3 growth and 20.9% EBITDA margin.
Sapphire Foods slipped 5% after announcing its merger with Devyani International, which jumped 7%. Under the deal, Devyani will issue 177 shares for every 100 Sapphire shares, consolidating KFC and Pizza Hut operations. Meanwhile, Vodafone Idea received a Rs. 637.9 crore GST penalty order, yet the stock rose 1.38% to Rs. 11.78, hitting an intraday high of Rs. 12.04.
Indian equities kick off the session on a strong footing as benchmark indices extend gains amid supportive global cues and sector-specific action. Sensex is higher by over 350 points near 85,550, while Nifty has reclaimed the 26,250 zone and is inching closer to its record high of 26,325. Market breadth remains healthy with more than 2,200 stocks advancing, keeping sentiment upbeat despite thin holiday volumes.
Sectoral trends are clearly split. FMCG stocks are under pressure, with ITC among the key laggards after a brokerage downgrade, while metal, auto, PSU bank, media and realty stocks are driving the rally. Maruti Suzuki, Hindalco, Bharat Electronics, Asian Paints and Coal India are leading the Nifty higher, supported by positive auto sales data and steady global signals.
Midcap and smallcap indices are also trading in the green, with sharp stock-specific moves in names like Ola Electric, NALCO, Voltas and MMTC. Stay with us for stock market live updates, top gainers and losers, sector trends, breaking corporate news and expert views as the trading day unfolds.