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Market Recovery: Nifty staged an impressive comeback, surging about 100 points above the 25,000 mark after initial weakness, while Sensex crossed the 82,000 level.
Banking Sector Leadership: ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank powered the recovery with gains of over 1% each following their weekend earnings announcements.
Mixed Corporate Performance: Mixed earnings from other sectors including logistics and cement companies highlighted selective performance across industries.
The stock market as of July 21, 2025 at 2:55 PM made a historic comeback as benchmark indices pulled out from recent weakness to make strong gains. The NSE Nifty rose by approximately 100 points and reclaimed above the crucial 25,000 mark. The BSE Sensex crossed 82,000 which is a positive sign for market participants.
Major banking stocks such as ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank participated in the strong sector-wide rally and aided a strong bounce back. The strength exhibited today shows how resilient the Indian stock markets are in terms of selling pressure during the ongoing earnings season.
Among the major gainers on the Nifty 50, Eternal led the chart, trading at Rs. 266, up 3.42%. ICICI Bank gained 2.60%, HDFC Bank too saw strong upward momentum, rising 1.65%. HDFC Life climbed 1.56%. Also joining the list of top gainers were M&M, Shriram Finance, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Hindalco, Larsen & Toubro, and Bajaj Finserv, all posting moderate gains between 0.85% and 1.26%.
On the flip side, Reliance Industries emerged as the top loser of the day, declining sharply by 3.45% to trade at Rs. 1,425.10. Wipro followed with a 2.72% slide. IndusInd Bank slipped 1.89%, Eicher Motors also posted a significant loss of 1.39%. HCL Technologies was down by 1.22%, while TCS fell by 1.09%. Other notable losers included Hindustan Unilever, Tata Consumer Products, ITC, and Cipla, all registering mild declines between 0.69% to 1.03%.
The banking sector's recovery was the highlight of today's session. After facing pressure in recent sessions, the Nifty Bank index bounced back nearly 1%. It was driven primarily by ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank's strong performance following their quarterly results. However, not all banking stocks participated in the rally, with AU Bank declining over 7%, highlighting the selective nature of the recovery.
The broader market indices, including small-cap and mid-cap segments, showed resilience with marginal gains. This indicates healthy underlying market sentiment.
The earnings season continued to deliver mixed results across sectors:
UCO Bank reported a 10% increase in net profit to Rs. 607 crore compared to Rs. 551 crore year-on-year. Net Interest Income grew 7% to Rs. 2,403 crore from Rs. 2,254 crore. The bank's asset quality improved with Gross NPA at 2.63% versus 2.69% quarter-on-quarter, and Net NPA at 0.45% versus 0.50% quarter-on-quarter.
UltraTech Cement posted consolidated net profit for Q1 FY26 at Rs. 2,225.90 crore compared to Rs. 1,494.82 crore in the corresponding quarter last year, showing impressive growth. However, shares remained flat on the NSE at Rs. 12,407.
Mahindra Logistics reported a consolidated net loss of Rs. 10.80 crore for the quarter ended June 2025 compared to a loss of Rs. 9.32 crore in the corresponding quarter last year. Despite the increased loss, revenue grew 14% to Rs. 1,625 crore from Rs. 1,420 crore year-on-year. EBITDA grew 18% to Rs. 78 crore from Rs. 66 crore, with margins improving to 4.8% from 4.7%. Shares declined 3.57% to Rs. 397.45.
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Some of the biggest volume buzzers of the day among the Nifty 500 stocks included Hatsun Agro, Mastek, KIOCL, Suyog, and Chola Holding, indicating heightened trading activity in these counters.
Sun TV Network stock rose 1.90% on the BSE to Rs. 585.95 after the board approved the acquisition of a 100% stake in Northern Superchargers for £100.5 million (Rs. 1,070.34 crore).
Ashok Leyland announced a partnership with Chhattisgarh Rajya Gramin Bank. It is for customized vehicle financing solutions, enhancing customer convenience and potentially boosting sales.
Paramount Communications board approved the issuance of FCCBs worth Rs. 135 crore and preferential allotment of convertible warrants to the promoter group.
State-owned heavy equipment manufacturer BEML informed exchanges that its board has approved the sub-division of its equity shares, subject to shareholder approval.
Bharti Airtel has now become the third-largest Indian company by market capitalization, with its market cap surpassing that of TCS.
Foreign Portfolio Investor (FPI) flows remained mixed, with Rs. 11,066 crore pulled out via secondary markets in July, even as Rs. 27,239 crore flowed into primary issuances. This indicates selective interest in new offerings versus existing market positions.
Today's bounce back highlights the intrinsic strength of Indian stock markets, especially among banks. The momentum gained by ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank subsequent to their earnings highlights investor optimism.
Small-cap indices and mid-cap indices have all gained throughout the day. However, the mixed earnings results across the sectors means that deciding which stocks to own remains extremely important. Going forward, investors will be focusing on the results from IDBI Bank, CRISIL, and others which could provide more calrity to market sentiment.
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1. What is the share market position today?
On July 21, 2025, the Indian stock market showed strong recovery with Nifty surging about 100 points above 25,000 and Sensex crossing 82,000. Banking stocks led the rally while broader markets participated with marginal gains.
2. Which sectors performed well today?
Banking sector was the star performer today, with the Nifty Bank index gaining nearly 1% led by ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank. Both stocks gained over 1% following their weekend earnings announcements.
3. What drove today's market recovery?
The recovery was primarily driven by strong performance from banking heavyweights ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank following their quarterly results. HDFC Bank's bonus issue announcement provided additional support.
4. Which stocks were the biggest gainers today?
Wendt surged over 15%, while Paradeep Phosphates and Mastek were among the big gainers. In the banking space, HDFC Bank climbed over 2% and Karur Vysya Bank gained 2%.
5. What are the key earnings highlights?
UCO Bank reported 10% profit growth to Rs. 607 crore, UltraTech Cement posted strong profit growth to Rs. 2,225.90 crore, while Mahindra Logistics faced challenges with increased losses despite revenue growth.
