Closing Bell: Nifty 50 Climbs 0.55% to 24211.60 as Financials, Cement Drive Gains | 20 Aug 2026, 03:45 PM IST
Key Highlights
Indian equities ended Thursday’s session higher. The Nifty 50 settled at 24211.60, up 0.55%, driven by strong performances in key financial and industrial stocks. Investors eye Friday’s open.
Indian equity markets concluded Thursday, 20 August 2026, on a positive note, with key indices posting gains across the board. These are the final settled closing figures for the session.
The benchmark index closed at 24211.60, marking an increase of +133.30 points, or +0.55%. This upward movement reflected broad-based buying interest. The Nifty Bank also saw gains, settling at 57444.05, up +204.30 points (+0.36%), indicating strength in the financial sector. The NIFTY Midcap 100 index also advanced, closing at 63684.75, a rise of +276.00 points (+0.44%), suggesting positive sentiment extended to mid-cap companies.
Index Performance
| Index | Close | Change | Change% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nifty 50 | 24211.60 | +133.30 | +0.55% |
| Nifty Bank | 57444.05 | +204.30 | +0.36% |
| NIFTY Midcap 100 | 63684.75 | +276.00 | +0.44% |
Top Gainers
| Company | Close (₹) | Change% |
|---|---|---|
| Eternal Ltd. (ETERNAL) | 328.00 | +2.50% |
| Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd. (KOTAKBANK) | 397.65 | +1.90% |
| Bajaj Finance Ltd. (BAJFINANCE) | 1097.00 | +1.56% |
| Ultratech Cement Ltd. (ULTRACEMCO) | 11624.00 | +1.52% |
| Shriram Finance Ltd. (SHRIRAMFIN) | 1121.70 | +1.42% |
Top Losers
| Company | Close (₹) | Change% |
|---|---|---|
| Hindalco Industries Ltd. (HINDALCO) | 1023.00 | −1.54% |
| Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd. (APOLLOHOSP) | 8690.50 | −0.68% |
| Tata Consumer Products Ltd. (TATACONSUM) | 1061.00 | −0.66% |
| Interglobe Aviation Ltd. (INDIGO) | 5160.00 | −0.64% |
| Nestle India Ltd. (NESTLEIND) | 1457.30 | −0.53% |
Key Stock Developments
Among individual stocks, Eternal Ltd. (ETERNAL) emerged as the top gainer, surging +2.50% to ₹328. The company informed about the outcome of its board meeting and reported a significant over three-fold jump in Q1 consolidated net profit, with consolidated total income surging 173.71% to ₹20,586 crore in Q1FY27.
Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd. (KOTAKBANK) also performed strongly, closing up +1.90% at ₹397.65, following its investor presentation and newspaper publication. Bajaj Finance Ltd. (BAJFINANCE) saw its shares advance +1.56% to ₹1097. This gain followed the company’s report of a 27% rise in Q1 consolidated net profit, with total consolidated income increasing 19.56% to ₹23,166.42 crore for Q1FY27. Additionally, Bajaj Finance successfully raised ₹498.22 crore through Non-Convertible Debentures (NCDs).
Other notable gainers included Ultratech Cement Ltd. (ULTRACEMCO) which rose +1.52% to ₹11624, and Shriram Finance Ltd. (SHRIRAMFIN) which gained +1.42% to ₹1121.70.
Conversely, Hindalco Industries Ltd. (HINDALCO) led the declines, falling −1.54% to ₹1023. Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd. (APOLLOHOSP) also saw a decline of −0.68% to ₹8690.50, while Tata Consumer Products Ltd. (TATACONSUM) closed down −0.66% at ₹1061.
and Activity
Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) were net buyers in the Indian equity market on Thursday, recording an inflow of +₹407.99 crore. Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) also remained net buyers, with an inflow of +₹3,973.72 crore. This marks continued buying interest from both institutional categories, following FII net buying of +₹1,651.53 crore and DII net buying of +₹2,579.31 crore on August 18, and FII net selling of −₹2,535.1 crore countered by DII net buying of +₹5,101.46 crore on August 17.
Outlook
As the market looks towards Friday’s session, investors will monitor global cues, commodity price movements, and any further corporate announcements that could influence market sentiment.