The Indian stock market witnessed a positive opening on August 19, 2025, with both the Sensex and Nifty demonstrating upward movement. The BSE Sensex gained over 150 points, reaching 81,430, while the NSE Nifty crossed the 24,900 mark, hitting 24,922. This positive trend was supported by strong buying activity from the previous session and optimism surrounding Goods and Services Tax (GST) reforms.
Market Drivers and Analysis
The market's positive sentiment is attributed to several factors. Firstly, renewed hopes for a resolution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict have boosted investor confidence. Secondly, domestic policy initiatives signaling next-generation GST reforms have significantly improved market sentiment. These reforms are expected to boost consumption and benefit key sectors such as auto, FMCG, and realty.
Siddhartha Khemka from Motilal Oswal Financial Services noted that strong domestic factors and government support may lead to better corporate earnings in the second half of FY26. He added that the first quarter results of FY26 were broadly in line with expectations, with Nifty EPS growth expected to improve to approximately 9% in FY26, compared to 1% in FY25, aided by positive domestic macros backed by fiscal and monetary stimulus.
However, experts have also cautioned against potential profit booking near the 25,000 level on Nifty, which may keep the index range-bound between 24,500 and 25,000.
Top Performers and Key Stocks
Several stocks contributed to the market's gains. Reliance Industries (RIL) and NTPC saw a rise of 2% each. Other top Sensex gainers included Bharti Airtel, Adani Ports, Titan Company, Infosys, and TCS. Conversely, M&M, BEL, Maruti Suzuki, Bajaj Finance, Bajaj Finserv, HCL Tech, Sun Pharma, and Power Grid were among the top losers.
Reliance Industries. The FMCG arm of Reliance Industries, Reliance Consumer Products, has forayed into the healthy functional beverage space through a joint venture with Naturedge Beverages. Additionally, Reliance Jio has discontinued its entry-level 1GB per day prepaid plans, effectively raising tariffs by 20%. The new entry plan for prepaid users now starts at ₹299, offering 1.5GB per day for 28 days.
NTPC. NTPC demonstrated strong operational and financial performance in Q3 FY25, with a 5% increase in total income and a notable rise in renewable energy capacity. The company's commitment to sustainability is reflected in its expansion of renewable energy.
Sectoral Performance
The Nifty MidCap and SmallCap indices both advanced by 0.2%. Among sectors, Nifty Bank, Nifty IT, and Nifty Metal gained 0.2% each, while Nifty Auto and Realty indices fell by 0.2%.
Market Outlook
The short-term market outlook is positive, but analysts recommend a strategy of buying on intraday dips and selling on rallies for day traders. Key support levels for the Sensex are identified at 81,000 and the 20-day SMA of 80,800, while crucial resistance areas are at 81,700 and 82,000. For the Nifty 50, immediate resistance is seen near 25,100 – 25,200, with significant support around 24,700 – 24,600.
Nagaraj Shetti, Senior Technical Research Analyst at HDFC Securities, believes that the recent swing low of 24,337 from August 8 is likely to be a bottom for the Nifty 50 in the near term, with the next upside target at 25,250 and immediate support at 24,700.
