Nifty Extends Winning Run; Bata Surges 16%, DII Buying Keeps Market Momentum - Paper by Pocketful

Jun 18, 2026

Rail Vikas Nigam (+1.00%): Shares gained after the company received a Letter of Acceptance (LoA) from East Coast Railway for bridge construction works on the Bhadrak–Vizianagaram section. The EPC contract, covering the 3rd and 4th railway lines, is valued at ₹967.92 crore.
HFCL (+5.00%): Shares hit the upper circuit after the company secured a ₹2,666.09 crore contract from Rail Vikas Nigam under the BharatNet Phase-III project in Uttar Pradesh. The order includes telecom equipment supply, optical fiber network creation, and maintenance services for 10 years.
Lupin (+2.43%): Shares advanced after the company launched Azilsartan Medoxomil Tablets (40mg and 80mg) in the U.S. following US FDA approval. Lupin is the exclusive first-to-file applicant and is eligible for 180-day generic drug exclusivity for the hypertension treatment.
Bata India (+16.42%): Shares rose sharply after the company appointed former Nike executive Sanjay Rao as its new Managing Director & CEO. Investors cheered the appointment, citing his extensive global retail leadership experience across India, Europe, and Asia, as well as his role in building Zara’s business in India.

Healthcare | Nifty Healthcare (+1.84%): The index was among the top sectoral gainers of the day, led by Max Healthcare. Market breadth remained strong with 15 gainers and 5 losers, supported by buying in hospital and pharmaceutical stocks amid optimism over rising healthcare demand, expansion plans, and defensive sector appeal.
FinSrv15/50 | Nifty FinSrv15/50 (+0.69%): The index advanced during the session, led by gains in DLF, Godrej Properties, and Lodha Developers. Positive sentiment was driven by strong buying interest in real estate-linked financial stocks, supported by expectations of sustained housing demand and improving sector fundamentals.
IT | Nifty IT (-1.19%): The index emerged as one of the top sectoral losers of the day, Market breadth remained weak with 2 gainers and 8 losers as investor sentiment turned cautious after the U.S. Federal Reserve signaled the possibility of a future rate hike, raising concerns over discretionary IT spending and demand from key overseas markets.
Metal | Nifty Metal (+0.01%): The index traded flat during the session, as gains in select metal stocks were offset by weakness in Jindal Stainless, NALCO, and Hindustan Copper. Mixed sentiment in the sector kept the index range-bound amid cautious investor positioning and fluctuating commodity price trends.

Technical Level: Nifty opened on a flat note and traded in a range during the initial session. The index moved higher before witnessing profit booking and slipping below its opening level, finding support near 24,040. It later recovered strongly and extended gains throughout the day, with a sharp rally in the final hour. Nifty closed near the day’s high while facing resistance around 24,190.
Advance-Decline Ratio: Market breadth remained positive with 1,897 advances against 1,382 declines, indicating broader buying interest and supportive sentiment across the market despite selective profit booking in some counters.
The Big Picture: Shares of Intel surged nearly 7% after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Apple had agreed to partner with Intel to design and manufacture chips in the U.S., boosting investor optimism around domestic semiconductor production and Intel’s growth prospects.
FII/DII Activity (June 18, 2026): DIIs remained net buyers at ₹3,517 crore, while FIIs were net sellers at ₹1,025 crore, indicating continued domestic support despite foreign outflows.

IPO Corner: The IPO of Turtlemint Fintech Solutions opens for subscription tomorrow, drawing investor attention amid growing interest in India’s insurtech sector.
Macro: Investors will closely monitor the Japan Inflation Rate YoY (May) & UK Retail Sales MoM (May) data scheduled for release tomorrow.
Index Watch: Nifty extended its gains for the third consecutive session, opening flat and consolidating in a narrow range before witnessing strong buying interest in the latter half. The index found support near 24,040 and rallied sharply towards the close, reflecting sustained bullish momentum. Immediate support is placed near 23,970, while the next resistance is seen around 24,280. Domestic buying continues to support the market despite intermittent FII selling.

Conviction : It refers to a strong belief or confidence in a decision, investment, or strategy. In financial markets, investors with high conviction maintain their positions despite short-term volatility, trusting their long-term analysis and outlook.

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