Stock News Highlights
Ather Energy (+14.13%): Stock rose the most during today’s session after the company turned profitable at ₹1.26 crore in Q2 FY27, compared with a loss of ₹154.07 crore a year ago. Revenue surged 62.3% YoY to ₹1,526.95 crore, supporting investor sentiment.
Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories (+6.62%): Stock traded higher despite Q2 FY27 net profit declining 36% YoY to ₹913.4 crore and revenue slipping 1.5% to ₹8,670.8 crore, indicating positive investor sentiment despite weaker financial performance.
AU Small Finance Bank (-6.85%): Stock fell the most despite reporting a 53% YoY rise in Q2 FY27 net profit to ₹858 crore, compared with ₹561 crore a year ago. Total income increased to ₹6,382 crore from ₹5,224 crore, while interest income rose to ₹5,612 crore, indicating that strong earnings growth failed to support investor sentiment.
Ujjivan Small Finance Bank (-5.34%): Stock declined despite reporting its highest-ever quarterly net profit of ₹365 crore in Q2 FY27. Net interest income rose 35% YoY to ₹1,244 crore, while the gross loan book grew 32.1% to ₹45,699 crore. However, higher fresh slippages of ₹350 crore compared with ₹170 crore in the previous quarter may have weighed on investor sentiment.
Sectoral Performance
Nifty Metal (+2.21%): Sector emerged as the top gainer, snapping a four-day losing streak, led by JSW Steel, Hindalco Industries and Tata Steel. JSW Steel surged after reporting a threefold jump in Q2 profit, supported by higher sales volumes and improved capacity utilisation.
Nifty Pharma (+1.77%): Sector rallied on strong Q2 earnings, with 17 gainers and 3 losers. Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories surged around 7% after exceeding market expectations, while Mankind Pharma jumped over 5% following a 39% YoY rise in net profit to ₹711 crore.
Nifty Media (-0.34%): Sector declined for the fifth consecutive session, with 3 gainers and 7 losers, amid concerns over weak advertising revenue, sluggish OTT subscriber growth and subdued Q2 earnings guidance.
Nifty Consumer Durables (-0.21%): Sector declined amid concerns over rising input costs, pressure on manufacturing margins and weak market sentiment. Havells India, Kalyan Jewellers and Amber Enterprises were among the biggest losers as investors booked profits and assessed demand and cost pressures.
Market Insights
Technical Level: Nifty opened on a flat note and declined initially, finding support near 22,390. The index reversed sharply from this level, forming successive higher highs and sustaining its upward momentum until closing, with resistance emerging near 22,750.
Advance-Decline Ratio: Market breadth remained positive, with 2,062 stocks advancing against 1,525 declining, resulting in an A/D ratio of 1.35, indicating broader buying interest across the market.
The Big Picture: Oil prices cooled as investors weighed risks to Saudi energy infrastructure against demand concerns, though Brent still stands near $114 and continued Houthi attacks keep fears of prolonged supply disruption alive.
FII/DII Activity (October 26, 2026): DIIs were net buyers at ₹2,609 crore, while FIIs were net sellers at ₹1,462 crore, indicating domestic institutional support amid continued foreign investor outflows.
Watch Out For Tomorrow
IPO Corner: EAAA India Alternatives IPO is closing for subscription tomorrow , making the IPO robust sentiment.
Macro: US Durable Goods Orders MoM (Sep) data is scheduled to be released tomorrow.
Market Watch: For investors, one green session after a heavy sell-off is a pause, not a turn. Tomorrow, watch whether the buying holds through the afternoon rather than fading at the open, and whether crude stays steady. A bounce that survives both is worth trusting.
Word of the day
Capitulation
Meaning: A situation where investors give up and sell their holdings in large numbers, often during a sharp market decline.
Example: Heavy FII selling and rising crude oil prices triggered capitulation among investors, adding to the market’s downward pressure.
In simple words: When investors lose confidence and sell stocks to avoid further losses.