Sensex, Nifty 50 | Stock Market Highlights: Sensex, Nifty eke out mild gains to end in the green; VIX spikes 9%

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Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments Limited, said that renewed disputes over the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz injected volatility into global markets.

"Investors interpreted the recent disruptions in the Middle East as potential negotiation tactics rather than the onset of a full-scale conflict. With the ceasefire set to expire this week, market participants remain cautious, awaiting further developments. Oil prices surged but stayed below the $100 mark, while the rupee weakened, raising concerns about inflationary pressures. Despite these headwinds, investors are giving some weights to the progressing Q4 earnings season. This has led to selective accumulation in growth-oriented sectors such as power, capital goods, and consumer durables, which continue to attract attention for their long-term potential," he added.

Sectorally, the trend was mixed. Nifty Media emerged as the top gainer with a 0.90% rise followed by Nifty PSU Bank index which added 0.87%. On the other hand, Nifty IT pack declined the most. Nifty Realty also faced losses.

The broader market indices underperformed as the Nifty Midcap 100 index declined 0.18% and the Nifty Smallcap 100 index lost 0.45%.

Only 12 of 30 Sensex stocks closed in the green today. Trent emerged as the top performer, with a 3% rise. It was followed by Asian Paints, SBI, NTPC and Bajaj Finance.

On the flip side, L&T was the top loser. BEL, HCL Tech and Kotak Bank also lost.

Sensex ends 27 points or 0.03% higher at 78,520.30. At the same time, Nifty 50 index closed the day at 24,364.85, up 11.30 points or 0.05%.

• Net Profit increased by 34.89 % to ₹ 2,014 crore in Q4FY26 on Y-o-Y basis as against ₹ 1,493 crore for Q4FY25. The same is increased by 13.19 % on a Q-o-Q sequential basis.
• Operating Profit has shown a growth of 16.92 % on Y-o-Y basis to ₹ 2,946 crore for Q4FY26 as against ₹ 2,520 crore for Q4FY24.The same has improved by 7.69 % on a Q-o-Q basis.
• Net Interest Income (NII) grew by 18.81 % on Y-o-Y basis to ₹ 3,702 crore in Q4FY26 as against ₹ 3,116 crore for Q4FY25. The same is increased by 8.19 % on a Q-o-Q sequential basis.

Building on the previously reported strong operational milestones, regarding YoY growth in Gudhi Padwa sales (23rd March 2026) and 96.9% YoY revenue growth in Q4 FY26 (6th April 2026), PNGS Reva Diamond Jewellery said this momentum has continued into the new financial year.

The company recorded a revenue of ₹12.7 crore on Akshaya Tritiya (19th April 2026) for F.Y. 2026-27, as compared to ₹3.46 crore on the same occasion in F.Y. 2025-26, representing a year-on-year growth of 2.67 times (267.49%).

Adani Power has surpassed Adani Ports to become the largest listed company in the Adani group, with a market cap of ₹3.9 lakh crore versus ₹3.6 lakh crore.

Penny stock below ₹10 Comfort Intech jumped over 3% after the company informed BSE to trade and admitted to dealings on the National Stock Exchange with effect from April 20, 2026.

Dragged down by losses in private bank stocks, Sensex erased most gains in the afternoon session and traded with marginal gains. HDFC Bank, Kotak Bank and Axis Bank were the top drags, along with L&T.

As of 1.28 pm, Sensex was higher by 25-odd points at 78,518. Meanwhile, Nifty 50 was flat at 24,371.10.

Groww Q4 results (QoQ):

> Net profit rises 25.5% to ₹686.3 crore from ₹547 crore

> Revenue up 23.8% to ₹1,505.3 crore from ₹1,216 crore

> EBITDA jumps 30.3% to ₹938.6 crore from ₹720.3 crore

> Margin up at 62.4% from 59.2%

Shares of Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) declined by 7.5% in intraday deals on Monday, 20 April, after the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) released a new draft proposal for electricity price discovery. IEX share price slumped to the day’s low of ₹125.35 apiece in intraday deals today, as against its last closing price of ₹135.65. The small-cap stock was trading close to its 52-week low of ₹114.50.

Nifty 50 index continues to hover above the crucial resistance zone of 24,300 – 24,400, which remains a key hurdle for further upside. Analysts believe a sustained breakout above this range will be essential to strengthen bullish momentum and extend the rally towards the 24,800 – 25,000 levels.

Vinay Rajani of HDFC Securities suggests two stocks to buy today - Action Construction Equipment and Moil shares.

Action Construction Equipment | Buy at ₹919 | Target Price: ₹875 | Stop-loss: ₹1,000

Moil | Buy at ₹325| Target Price: ₹365 | Stop-loss: ₹310

Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) have shown a positive trend in recent sessions, with net buying recorded over three consecutive days in the cash market. On April 17, FIIs invested ₹683.20 crore, followed by ₹382.36 crore on April 16, and ₹666.15 crore on April 15 in the cash market, indicating a steady inflow of funds into the market.

Multi Commodity Exchange of India Limited (MCX) announced that it has received approval from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to invest in a proposed Coal Exchange company. It is aimed at developing a regulated, transparent, technology-driven market platform for buying and selling coal that facilitates an efficient and robust price discovery for coal in the country. Pursuant to SEBI’s approval granted on April 17, 2026, MCX plans to incorporate a new subsidiary, likely to be named ‘MCX Coal Exchange Ltd.’ or ‘MCX Coal Exchange of India Ltd.

MCX share price was trading 0.79% higher at ₹2,878.00 apiece on the BSE.

Bank Nifty continues to exhibit relative strength, but remains positioned near a key resistance zone. From a technical standpoint, the 56,800 – 57,000 range remains a critical resistance band, and a decisive breakout above this level will be required to trigger further upside towards the 57,500 – 58,000 levels. On the downside, immediate support is placed near the 56,000 – 55,800 zone, and holding above these levels will be crucial to sustain the ongoing recovery momentum. Opening outlook remains cautious, and a decisive breakout above resistance is necessary to confirm continuation of the uptrend, said Ponmudi R.

MCX silver price is currently hovering above ₹2,52,000, with safe-haven demand and strength in industrial metals offering only limited support amid elevated volatility, as geopolitical tensions continue to weigh on sentiment. Resistance is placed at ₹2,55,000 – ₹2,60,000, with further upside toward ₹2,68,000 – ₹2,70,000. A sustained move above these levels could strengthen momentum and support further gains. On the downside, a break below ₹2,48,000 may lead to a corrective move toward the ₹2,44,000 – ₹2,40,000 range, said Ponmudi R.

MCX gold price is holding above ₹1,52,000 level with emerging buying interest at lower levels. A sustained move above ₹1,55,000 could revive momentum toward ₹1,57,000 - ₹1,58,000. On the downside, a break below ₹1,52,500 may lead to a corrective move toward ₹1,51,000 - ₹1,50,000 and further to ₹1,48,000. The bias remains cautious, with macro factors offering limited support; however, failure to break above resistance levels may keep momentum weak and tilt the trend further to the downside, said Ponmudi R, CEO of Enrich Money.