Indian benchmark indices showed a flat trend with a slight positive inclination on Monday morning, influenced by mixed global signals and limited year-end activity. The Sensex rose by 40 points, or 0.04 percent, reaching 85,081, while the Nifty climbed 14 points, or 0.05 percent, to 26,057 by 9:30 am. Major broad-cap indices mirrored the benchmark indices’ performance, with the Nifty Midcap 100 up by 0.14 percent and the Nifty Smallcap 100 by 0.18 percent.
In the Nifty Pack, Tech Mahindra, Tata Steel, and NTPC emerged as significant gainers, whereas Bajaj Finserv, Axis Bank, Bajaj Finance, and Tata Consumer faced losses. Among the sectors, the Nifty Metal index led with a 1.11 percent increase, followed by Nifty Auto and Nifty Realty, which saw gains of 0.26 percent and 0.25 percent, respectively.
Analysts noted that the immediate support levels are around 25,850–25,900, with a critical resistance band at 26,150–26,200. The market is being supported by stable crude prices and a relatively steady rupee, preventing significant downward movements. They anticipate a shift in India’s performance compared to other markets in 2026 due to favorable Indian macros, including strong economic growth and earnings recovery from Q3 FY26.
While positive factors are present, market experts believe that a substantial rally may require a US-India trade deal with beneficial outcomes for India. In the absence of such developments, a consolidation phase is expected in the near future. In the Asia-Pacific region, markets displayed mixed trends at the start of the final trading week of the year.
