Closing Bell: Nifty 50 Climbs 0.55% to 24211.60 as Financials, Cement Drive Gains | 20 Aug 2026, 03:45 PM IST
By ThePip Desk
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 Nifty 50 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.
FII and DII 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.