Nifty 50 closed at 22,907.60 (73.3, 0.3%), BSE Sensex closed at 75,449.05 (147.8, 0.2%) while the broader Nifty 500 closed at 20,864.50 (207.3, 1%). Market breadth is highly positive. Of the 2,466 stocks traded today, 1,994 were on the uptick, and 440 were down.

Indian indices closed in the green, with the benchmark Nifty 50 index surpassing the 22,900-point mark for the first time in the last 16 sessions, led by advances in metal and financial stocks. The Indian volatility index, Nifty VIX, rose 0.7% and closed at 13.3 points. GR Infraprojects rose 9.1% as it won an order worth Rs 4,262.8 crore from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to construct the Agra?Gwalior Greenfield road.

Nifty Midcap 100 and Nifty Smallcap 100 closed in the green, following the benchmark index. Nifty Alpha 50 & Nifty Realty were among the top index gainers today. According to Trendlyne’s Sector dashboard, Telecommunications Equipment emerged as the best-performing sector of the day, with a rise of 4.6%.

Asian indices closed mixed, while European indices are trading lower. US index futures traded in the green, indicating a positive start to the trading session. Nvidia stock fell 3.4% on Tuesday after CEO Jensen Huang's keynote at the GTC conference. The company has lost $420 billion in market capitalization since China's DeepSeek launch. Meta remained JPMorgan’s top pick, with analysts citing its AI leadership and the upcoming Llama4 launch, which is expected to boost monetization and long-term growth. Brent crude oil futures are trading in the red.

• Apollo Tyre sees a long buildup in its March 27 futures series, with open interest increasing by 12.9% and a put-call ratio of 0.5.

• Marksans Pharma’s UK subsidiary, Relonchem, receives marketing authorization from the UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for Baclofen tablets, a muscle relaxant

• JM Financial maintains its 'Buy' rating on Suzlon with a lower target price of Rs 71. The brokerage believes project execution remains a key concern, particularly regarding land availability with a clear Right of Way (ROW).

• NBCC (India) rises sharply as it sells 1,046 residential units in Aspire Centurian Park, Greater Noida, for Rs 2,353 crore through an e-auction.

• Strides Pharma's board of directors grants in-principle approval for the proposed demerger of Arco Lab’s identified business. The company plans to transfer its life sciences and digital innovation capabilities into a newly formed entity.

• Transrail Lighting rises as it secures a Rs 1,647 crore work order for transmission & distribution (T&D) and railway projects in an overseas market. The work involves engineering, procurement, and construction of transmission lines and substations.

• A report by Colliers states that real estate investments in the Asia Pacific market grew 12% YoY, reaching $155.9 billion in 2024 (approx. Rs 12.9 lakh crore). India maintained strong momentum, with investments rising 88% YoY to $3 billion (approx. Rs 24,600 crore)in H2CY24. Mumbai attracted nearly half of these investments, primarily driven by office asset acquisitions.

  Indian real estate market sees 88% YoY investment surge to $ 3.0 billion in H2 2024 @AshishM1885 reports??https://t.co/UVk3iWIFac#RealEstate #Investment

  — Moneycontrol (@moneycontrolcom) March 19, 2025

• Jio Financial Services rises as Allianz SE is reportedly in advanced talks to form a joint venture with the company. Allianz seeks a new partnership after announcing the sale of its 26% stake in Bajaj Allianz General and Bajaj Allianz Life to Bajaj Group for $2.8 billion.

• ICICI Securities maintains its 'Buy' call on Akums Drugs & Pharmaceuticals with a target price of Rs 710 per share. This indicates a potential upside of 39.2%. The brokerage expects better traction from hormones and the new injectable plant to strengthen the contract development & manufacturing organisation (CDMO) segment’s product mix, boosting revenue growth and margins. It expects the firm's revenue to grow at a CAGR of 14.9% over FY25-27.

• NSE replaces ICICI Securities with Raymond Lifestyle in the Nifty 500, Nifty Smallcap 250, and Nifty MidSmallcap 400 indices, effective March 21.

• Sugar stocks like Balrampur Chini, EID Parry, and Uttam Sugar are rising after the Indian Sugar and Bio-Energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA) dismisses concerns over potential shortages and supply issues, assuring adequate supply to meet domestic demand. ISMA is also optimistic about the 2025-26 season, citing favourable weather and better planting.

  Sugar stocks like Balrampur Chini, Sakthi Sugars, Uttam Sugar, and EID Parry rise as ISMA highlights stable sugar reserves. Will this positive trend continue for the sugar industry in India?https://t.co/wMXEZx8mrz
  
  @madhubalajihere

  — businessline (@businessline) March 19, 2025

• Voltas, Havells, and Amber Enterprises rise as the Government exempts key AC and refrigerator components from mandatory BIS certification, easing supply concerns ahead of summer.

• Life Insurance Corporation of India rises as it confirms it is in the final stages of acquiring a stake in a health insurer. The company is reportedly considering a Rs 4,000 crore stake in ManipalCigna, with the deal expected before March 31.

• Westlife Foodworld rises sharply as its board of directors appoints Akshay Jatia as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective March 18.

• Muthoot Finance rises as its gold loan AUM crosses the Rs 1 lakh crore mark. George Alexander Muthoot, the MD, projects a net interest margin of 10-12% for FY26 and expects a 40% growth in assets under management (AUM) in FY25. He adds that the company is experiencing muted growth in its MFI portfolio and anticipates pressures to persist for two quarters.

  Insight Edge | Muthoot Finance (@TheMuthootGroup) gains on the back of positive commentary by the mgmt. ‘FY26 net interest margin guidance at 10-12%,’ says MD, George Alexander Muthoot. Adds, they expect 40% AUM growth in FY25 vs the guidance of 25-30%. @blitzkreigm pic.twitter.com/FTkDxR9jwf

  — CNBC-TV18 (@CNBCTV18News) March 19, 2025

• Nazara Technologies is rising as it acquires a 9% stake in Absolute Sports, a material subsidiary, for Rs 69.2 crore. This acquisition increases its shareholding in Absolute Sports from 91% to 100%, making it a wholly-owned subsidiary.

• Vodafone Idea rises sharply as it launches 5G services in Mumbai, with plans starting at Rs 299.

• Yes Bank receives an income tax demand worth Rs 144.9 crore from the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal for AY21.

• Antique Stock Broking reiterates its 'Buy' rating on HPCL, BPCL and IOC with target prices of Rs 565, Rs 425 and Rs 172, respectively. The brokerage projects LPG losses will drop by 35% to Rs 28,500 crore in FY26, with crude at $70/bbl. It expects strong auto-fuel margins to ease subsidy risks and a potential demand recovery from China.

  #BrokerageRadar | Antique on OMCs: Reiterates Buy on HPCL, BPCL, IOC; strong auto-fuel margins, falling LPG losses, crude estimate lowered to $70/bbl pic.twitter.com/Xqc6Wd3mOM

  — ET NOW (@ETNOWlive) March 19, 2025

• Zydus Lifesciences receives US FDA approval to manufacture Apalutamide tablets for the treatment of prostate cancer. According to IQVIA, the drug recorded annual sales of $1.8 billion for the year ending January 2025.

• KPI Green Energy is rising as it secures Rs 272 crore in financial assistance from the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID) to partially fund its 50 MW hybrid power project in Bharuch, Gujarat.

• GR Infraprojects surges as it bags an order worth Rs 4,262.8 crore from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to construct the Agra-Gwalior Greenfield road. As part of the project, the company will develop, including overlaying and strengthening a 6-lane access-controlled Agra-Gwalior greenfield highway from Deori in Agra to Susera in Gwalior.

• Bajaj Auto's board of directors approves the reappointment of Rajivnayan Rahulkumar Bajaj as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer for another five years, effective April 1.

• Nifty 50 was trading at 22,877.30 (43, 0.2%) , BSE Sensex was trading at 75,300.27 (-1.0, 0%) while the broader Nifty 500 was trading at 20,746.20 (89, 0.4%)

• Market breadth is highly positive. Of the 2,011 stocks traded today, 1,733 were in the positive territory and 238 were negative.

Riding High:

Largecap and midcap gainers today include Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd. (2,625.25, 10.5%), PB Fintech Ltd. (1,555.75, 7%) and Max Healthcare Institute Ltd. (1,087.45, 6.9%).

Downers:

Largecap and midcap losers today include Phoenix Mills Ltd. (1,555.65, -3.2%), Tech Mahindra Ltd. (1,396.15, -2.4%) and LTIMindtree Ltd. (4,365.45, -1.8%).

Crowd Puller Stocks

29 stocks in BSE 500 are trading on high volumes today.

Top high volume gainers on BSE included Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd. (1,641.35, 20%), Tanla Platforms Ltd. (520.60, 17.5%) and HBL Engineering Ltd. (482.40, 15.2%).

Top high volume loser on BSE was Phoenix Mills Ltd. (1,555.65, -3.2%).

Mahindra Lifespace Developers Ltd. (327.45, 5.3%) was trading at 20.0 times of weekly average. G R Infraprojects Ltd. (1,026.10, 9.1%) and Sheela Foam Ltd. (722.85, 3.7%) were trading with volumes 14.3 and 8.8 times weekly average respectively on BSE at the time of posting this article.

BSE 500: highs, lows and moving averages

6 stocks took off, crossing 52 week highs,

Stocks touching their year highs included - Bajaj Finance Ltd. (8,731.60, 0.6%), Chambal Fertilisers & Chemicals Ltd. (586.95, 3.2%) and Coromandel International Ltd. (1,978.60, 0.8%).

23 stocks climbed above their 200 day SMA including Balrampur Chini Mills Ltd. (539.90, 7.2%) and Kama Holdings Ltd. (2,665, 5.9%). 3 stocks slipped below their 200 SMA including Castrol India Ltd. (218.78, -1.5%) and Hitachi Energy India Ltd. (11,800.25, -1.3%).