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Trendlyne Marketwatch
18 May 2026
Market closes flat, IT stocks gain
By Trendlyne Analysis

 

Nifty 50 closed at 23,649.95 (6.5, 0.0%), BSE Sensex closed at 75,315.04 (77.1, 0.1%) while the broader Nifty 500 closed at 22,461.05 (-70.1, -0.3%). Market breadth is moving down. Of the 2,779 stocks traded today, 656 were on the uptrend, and 2,074 went down.

Indian indices closed flat after recovering from morning losses, supported by gains in IT stocks. The Indian volatility index, Nifty VIX, rose 0.8% and closed at 19.4 points. Uno Minda’s board approved setting up a 4W EV powertrain manufacturing unit in Maharashtra with a capex of Rs 550 crore. It also approved a Rs 2,500 crore fundraise through equity or securities issuance via private placement, QIP, or other routes.

Nifty Midcap 100 & Nifty Smallcap 100 closed in the red. BSE Focused IT and Nifty IT were among the top index gainers today. According to Trendlyne’s Sector dashboard, Software & Services emerged as the best-performing sector of the day, with a rise of 1.7%.

Asian indices closed lower, while European indices are trading mixed. US index futures traded in the red, indicating a cautious start to the trading session. Oil prices stayed elevated after Donald Trump warned that the “clock is ticking for Iran” and urged Tehran to act quickly amid rising tensions. Meanwhile, a senior Iranian lawmaker said Tehran will soon introduce a “professional mechanism” to manage traffic through the Strait of Hormuz along a designated route, adding that necessary fees will be charged for the specialized services offered under the mechanism.

  • Relative Strength Index (RSI) indicates that stocks like Vodafone Idea, Multi Commodity Exchange and Laurus Labs are in the overbought zone.

  • Zydus Wellness is falling as its Q4FY26 net profit declines 5.8% YoY to Rs 162 crore due to higher inventory, employee benefits, advertisement & finance costs. Revenue jumps 62.6% to Rs 1,485.9 crore, fueled by the acquisition of Comfort Click and strong brand momentum. It shows up in a screener of stocks with declining net cash flow.

  • FDC receives US FDA approval for its abbreviated new drug application (ANDA) for Cefixime oral suspension. The drug is used to treat bacterial infections and had an estimated market size of $1.1 billion in 2025.

  • Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences is falling sharply as its Q4FY26 net profit declines 58.3% YoY to Rs 42.5 crore due to initial losses in new hospitals and delayed insurance approvals. However, revenue jumps 35.3% to Rs 1,084.3 crore, supported by network expansion, higher patient volumes and realisations. It shows up in a screener of stocks where promoters are increasing their pledged shares QoQ.

  • Dodla Dairy MD Dodla Sunil Reddy expects margins to improve by 1–1.5% in FY27, though they are likely to remain flat in Q1, aided by lower procurement costs. He also projects volume growth of 15–18% over the period.

  • Hero MotoCorp's CEO, Harshvardhan Chitale, reportedly announces a Rs 1,500 crore capex for FY27 to double scooter manufacturing capacity. The company has already earmarked Rs 700 crore to set up a global parts centre in South India.

  • Tata Steel is falling sharply as JP Morgan downgrades the stock to a 'Neutral' call from 'Buy', with a target price of Rs 220 per share. This indicates a potential upside of 5.2%. The brokerage cites regulatory cost headwinds & early closure of coke plants in the Netherlands, and project delays in the UK and India.

  • JSW Energy rises as it sells 2.5 crore shares (~1% stake) of JSW Steel for Rs 3,150 crore through a bulk deal. The company now holds a 1.8% stake in JSW Steel.

  • TVS Venu Group plans to acquire a minority stake in Jana Small Finance Bank through warrants and a secondary purchase, targeting up to 9.9% ownership on a fully diluted basis, including 4.9% via TVS Motor Company, subject to approvals. TVS Motor, Chairman Sudarshan Venu said the investment aligns with the group’s long-term strategy of backing strong institutions supporting India’s growing financial and digital ecosystem.

  • ICICI Direct retains a 'Buy' call on Hindustan Aeronautics, with a higher target price of Rs 5,300 per share. This indicates a potential upside of 25.4%. The brokerage believes that the company is well-placed to for long-term revenue growth, driven by execution ramp-up and a healthy order pipeline. It expects the firm to deliver a revenue CAGR of 15% over FY27-28.

  • Central Mine Planning & Design Institute signs a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Mineral Exploration and Consultancy (MECL) to undertake exploration and drilling work for coal and other mineral blocks.

  • Pace Digitek secures an order worth Rs 709.9 crore from NCL India Renewables to set up a 250 MW battery energy storage system (BESS), with 12 years of operations & maintenance.

  • Nomura says crude prices above $111 per barrel remain a major concern for India’s oil and gas sector. PSU oil marketing companies continue to face pressure despite the government’s Rs 3 per litre hike in petrol and diesel prices on May 15, as the increase is still insufficient to offset rising fuel retailing and LPG losses. The brokerage sees IOCL and BPCL as better positioned, while HPCL faces higher balance sheet risks amid mounting stress in the OMC sector.

  • Gland Pharma soars to its 52-week high of Rs 2,164.4 as its Q4FY26 net profit surges 96.6% YoY to Rs 366.7 crore, driven by a richer product mix and higher utilisation. Revenue jumps 26.2% to Rs 1,854.3 crore, led by higher sales in the exports market. It features in a screener of newly affordable stocks with good financials and durability.

  • HDFC Asset Management Company is falling after reporting a cybersecurity incident at its IT infrastructure following a message from an anonymous source claiming access to parts of its systems.

  • Vodafone Idea is falling sharply as its Q4FY26 revenue misses Forecaster estimates by 0.9% despite growing 1.8% YoY to Rs 11,436 crore due to delays in 5G rollout and subscriber losses. However, the company reports a net profit of Rs 51,970 crore during the quarter, compared to a net loss of Rs 7,166 crore a year ago, driven by a one-time gain from reassessment of the AGR dues. It appears in a screener of stocks with high interest payments compared to earnings.

  • ICICI Securities retains a 'Buy' rating on SAIL with a target price of Rs 240. The brokerage expects SAIL to deliver record performance going forward, supported by firm domestic steel prices, favorable demand trends, and continued focus on cost optimization. It estimates the company’s EBITDA per tonne at around Rs 8,800 in FY27 and Rs 9,100 in FY28. The brokerage also highlights SAIL’s emphasis on reducing employee and operating costs.

  • Symphony is falling sharply as it reports a net loss of Rs 218 crore in Q4FY26 compared to a net profit of Rs 79 crore a year ago due to higher employee benefits and finance costs. Revenue declines 29.7% YoY to Rs 351 crore, caused by weaker summer demand, delayed seasonal sales and lower exports. It shows up in a screener of stocks with low Piotroski scores.

  • Gokul Agro Resources' Q4FY26 net profit soars 2.4x YoY to Rs 118.9 crore, supported by lower inventory and finance costs. Revenue grows 13.6% to Rs 6,213.6 crore, led by higher realisations and demand in the food processing and FMCG segments. The company's board of directors approves a Rs 430 crore capex to expand capacity across all manufacturing units.

  • Jupiter Life Line Hospitals is falling as its Q4FY62 EBITDA margin declines 70 bps YoY to 23% due to higher raw materials, employee benefits, professional fees, and finance costs. However, revenue grows 15.6% to Rs 397 crore, driven by higher patient volumes, occupancy and improved premium specialty treatments. The company's board of directors approves a 5-for-1 stock split of equity shares.

  • United Breweries plans to close its Ludhiana brewery in Punjab, effective June 30, 2026. The company notes that it has entered into a long-term capacity lease agreement with a contract brewing unit to maintain beer supplies across Punjab, Delhi, and neighbouring states.

  • Uno Minda is rising as its board of directors approves setting up a 4W EV powertrain production unit in Maharashtra, with a capex of Rs 550 crore. The board also approves a Rs 2,500 crore fundraise by issuing equity or securities through a private placement, qualified institutional placement (QIP) or other modes.

  • Mitter Infotech LLP sells 1.9 crore shares of Nazara Technologies for Rs 510.7 crore through a bulk deal at an average price of Rs 266 per share. Axana Estates LLP and Zerodha Broking pick up the shares.

  • ITC Hotels' Q4FY26 net profit rises 23% YoY to Rs 315.9 crore, helped by lower food and beverage consumption costs. Revenue grows 18.2% to Rs 1,253.7 crore, driven by a 6% growth in Average Daily Rates (ADRs) and a 229 bps increase in occupancy during the quarter. The company also signs an agreement to acquire The Zuri Kumarakom Kerala Resort & Spa for Rs 205 crore to strengthen its presence in Kerala.

  • Premier Energies is rising as its Q4FY26 net profit soars 64.4% YoY to Rs 456.8 crore, helped by lower inventory, contract and finance costs. Revenue jumps 35% to Rs 2,268.9 crore, driven by higher demand for utility and rooftop solar segments, and strong order execution. The company's board of directors approves a Rs 5,000 crore fundraise by issuing equity through a qualified institutional placement (QIP) and other modes.

  • Nifty 50 was trading at 23,400.50 (-243, -1.0%), BSE Sensex was trading at 74,807.97 (-430.0, -0.6%), while the broader Nifty 500 was trading at 22,289.10 (-242.1, -1.1%).

  • Market breadth is overwhelmingly negative. Of the 2,325 stocks traded today, 416 showed gains, and 1,829 showed losses.

Riding High:

Largecap and midcap gainers today include Coforge Ltd. (1,348.10, 5.2%), Persistent Systems Ltd. (4,944.10, 5.2%) and Oracle Financial Services Software Ltd. (9,408.50, 4.4%).

Downers:

Largecap and midcap losers today include TVS Motor Company Ltd. (3,291, -5.1%), UNO Minda Ltd. (1,067.80, -4.8%) and ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company Ltd. (515.40, -3.8%).

Volume Rockets

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

Top high volume gainers on BSE included Gland Pharma Ltd. (2,156.60, 15.4%), Great Eastern Shipping Company Ltd. (1,696.50, 10.6%) and Premier Energies Ltd. (986.90, 0.5%).

Top high volume losers on BSE were Amber Enterprises India Ltd. (7,153.50, -15.6%), KEC International Ltd. (487.60, -11.1%) and UNO Minda Ltd. (1,067.80, -4.8%).

ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company Ltd. (515.40, -3.8%) was trading at 9.6 times of weekly average. Aether Industries Ltd. (1,114.90, 0.3%) and Godfrey Phillips India Ltd. (2,314.90, -4.5%) were trading with volumes 5.2 and 5.0 times weekly average respectively on BSE at the time of posting this article.

BSE 500: highs, lows and moving averages

7 stocks took off, crossing 52 week highs, while 17 stocks hit their 52 week lows.

Stocks touching their year highs included - Carborundum Universal Ltd. (1,098.25, -0.4%), Great Eastern Shipping Company Ltd. (1,696.50, 10.6%) and Ipca Laboratories Ltd. (1,646.30, 2.6%).

Stocks making new 52 weeks lows included - Apollo Tyres Ltd. (375.15, -4.9%) and Coromandel International Ltd. (1,837.20, -1.5%).

5 stocks climbed above their 200 day SMA including PB Fintech Ltd. (1,748.30, 3.6%) and Rainbow Childrens Medicare Ltd. (1,351.30, 1.1%). 41 stocks slipped below their 200 SMA including Amber Enterprises India Ltd. (7,153.50, -15.6%) and Cochin Shipyard Ltd. (1,513.50, -5.1%).

 
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