The Indian stock market kicked off the new trading week with a robust rally, closing Monday's session with significant gains. The upswing was fueled by a strengthening rupee and optimistic signals from global markets, leading to broad-based buying across sectors.
Market Snapshot: Indices Post Solid Gains
The benchmark Sensex advanced by 638 points, or 0.75%, to settle at 85,567.48. Similarly, the Nifty 50 climbed 206 points, or 0.79%, to end the day at 26,172.40. This marked the second consecutive session of gains for the indices. The rally was not confined to the large caps; broader markets displayed even stronger performance. The BSE Midcap index rose by 0.86%, while the BSE Smallcap index surged 1.12%, indicating healthy participation from a wide array of stocks.
Ajit Mishra, Senior Vice President of Research at Religare Broking Ltd., commented on the market's performance. He noted that markets started the week positively, extending the previous Friday's rebound. After a gap-up opening, the Nifty traded in a narrow range but held firm near its daily highs before resuming its upward trajectory in the final hour of trade.
Sectoral Performance and Stocks in the Spotlight
Sectoral indices were broadly supportive, with Information Technology (IT), metals, and auto sectors emerging as the top gainers. The improved breadth, where midcap and smallcap indices outperformed, suggested a revival in market participation compared to recent sessions.
Against this buoyant backdrop, several individual stocks are poised to attract investor attention in the coming sessions due to significant corporate developments:
HCL Tech: The company's software division, HCL Software, announced plans to acquire Belgium-based AI startup Wobby. This strategic move aims to bolster HCL's generative AI capabilities, helping enterprises extract insights faster from their data warehouses.
Indian Hotels: The Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) marked its entry into Egypt by signing an agreement for a new Taj hotel in Cairo.
IRCTC: The stock will be excluded from the Futures & Options (F&O) segment starting February 25, 2026. However, all existing contracts for December 2025, January 2026, and February 2026 expiries will remain tradable until their expiry.
Welspun Corp: The company completed the purchase of an additional 4.11% stake in its subsidiary, Welspun Specialty Solutions, through a block deal worth approximately ₹109 crore. This increases its total holding to 55.17%.
Lenskart: Its Singapore-based subsidiary, Lenskart Singapore, approved the acquisition of a 50% stake in Marco Optical (Thailand) Co from existing investor Matt Optical.
Ambuja Cements: The Adani Group company received board approval to merge ACC and Orient Cement with itself. This amalgamation will create a unified "One Cement Platform" for the group.
Berger Paints: As part of an internal restructuring, UK Paints (India), a core promoter group entity, plans to acquire a 14.48% stake in Berger Paints.
GPT Infraprojects: The company has been identified as the L1 (lowest) bidder for a major ₹670 crore contract from the NHAI to construct a four-lane elevated road in Jodhpur.
Sanghvi Movers: Its subsidiary, Sangreen Future Renewables, secured substantial work orders totaling ₹428.72 crore from leading independent power producers.
LIC Housing Finance: In a move to attract new borrowers, the company reduced its home loan interest rates to 7.15% for new sanctions. The revised rates are effective from December 22, 2025.
Market Outlook and Implications
The strong closing on Monday, supported by positive global cues and a recovering rupee, sets a constructive tone for the near term. The broad-based nature of the rally, with leadership from key sectors and participation from smaller stocks, is a positive signal for market health. Investors will likely keep a close watch on the stocks with fresh corporate announcements, as these developments can trigger specific movements. The overall sentiment appears to have turned cautiously optimistic, though global factors and domestic cues will continue to guide the trajectory.
Disclaimer: This story is for informational and educational purposes only. Readers are advised to consult with a certified investment advisor before making any financial decisions.
