Top Gainers & Losers on Dec 12: Hindustan Zinc, Kaynes Tech, Anant Raj, Swiggy, Vodafone Idea among top gainers

Driven by a strong rally in the metal counters, the Indian stock market stayed firm for the second session on Friday, December 12, pushing the key front-line indices to settle above key levels.

The Nifty 50 closed the session 148 points, or 0.57%, higher, reclaiming the 26,000 mark at 26,022, while the S&P BSE Sensex finished at 85,267, up 449 points, or 0.53%, from the previous close. The broader markets also shone, with the Nifty Midcap 100 and Nifty Smallcap 100 indices rallying 1.18% and 1%, respectively.

Investor sentiment was buoyed by a drop in the US Dollar index, coupled with expectations of an imminent trade deal between India and the US, and hopes of an earnings recovery in the second half of FY26, all supporting the market despite overseas investors remaining net sellers in Indian equities.

Nifty metal tops sectoral gains

Looking at sector-wise performance, the continued rally in both base and precious metals, along with weakness in the US dollar, led to strong demand for metal stocks, causing all the constituents of the Nifty Metal index to close in the green and driving the index up by 2.63%, making it the top sectoral performer.

The Nifty Realty index also closed with a solid gain of 1.53%, while the Nifty Consumer Durables, Nifty Oil & Gas, Nifty Chemicals, and Nifty Auto indices all rallied between 0.60% and 1.46%. The Nifty FMCG was the only laggard, but with a modest 0.24% drop.

Currency woes continue

Though the markets recovered sharply from recent lows, the pain in the Indian rupee continues, with the local currency reaching another all-time low of 90.55 against the US dollar, slipping past its previous record low of 90.4675 hit on December 11.

The rupee is Asia's worst performer this year, having fallen nearly 6% against the dollar year-to-date, as steep US tariffs of up to 50% on Indian goods hurt exports to its biggest market, while also diminishing the appeal of local equities for foreign investors.

Beatdown stocks rebound, Transformers & Rectifiers led the charge

Following a sharp correction in recent sessions, Transformers & Rectifiers shares recovered strongly, rising 17.2% to ₹280 apiece, emerging as the top gainer among Nifty 500 stocks. Anant Raj shares also rebounded 9% to ₹550.65 apiece after losing 32% over the past two months.

Meanwhile, all major metal stocks closed higher, led by Hindustan Zinc, which gained 7.5% to ₹561 apiece, followed by Hindustan Copper, National Aluminium Company, GMDC, Sarda Energy & Minerals, NMDC, Hindalco Industries, Tata Steel, and Adani Power, all of which rallied between 3% and 7%.

The recovery rally in EMS stocks extended into today’s trade, with Kaynes Technology, Dixon Technologies, and PG Electroplast surging 5.5%, 3.3%, and 3.4%, respectively. All three oil marketing stocks, Hindustan Petroleum, Bharat Petroleum, and Indian Oil Corporation, closed with gains of up to 3.8%.

Banking and NBFC stocks also delivered healthy returns, with PNB Housing Finance, City Union Bank, Sammaan Capital, Bandhan Bank, and Muthoot Finance rallying between 3% and 4.%.

Other key stocks such as GMR Airports, Reliance Infrastructure, Gravita, IndiaBlue Star, and Vodafone Idea posted gains ranging from 3% to 6.6%.

FMCG, defence, and select midcaps under pressure

Among the top losers, Jubilant FoodWorks led the decline with a 2.4% fall to ₹583, while DCM Shriram and KFin Technologies also slipped over 2%. FMCG major Hindustan Unilever shed 2% to settle at ₹2,260 apiece, and its peer Dabur India fell 1.4% to ₹495.

Defence stocks such as Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Solar Industries declined 1.9% and 1.2%, respectively. Other key stocks including PI Industries, Gillette India, Siemens, Balrampur Chini Mills, Vijaya Diagnostic, Eris Lifesciences, and PB Fintech also dropped over 1%.

Disclaimer: This story is for educational purposes only. The views and recommendations made above are those of individual analysts or broking companies, and not of Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions.