Top Gainers & Losers: Nifty Climbs as Financials Lead Gains; Eternal Soars on Strong Q1 Results | 20 Aug 2026, 12:00 PM IST
By ThePip Desk
The Nifty 50 advanced on Thursday, buoyed by strong performances across the financial sector. Metals and select consumer stocks saw minor declines, reflecting mixed market sentiment.
The Indian equity market concluded Thursday, 20 August 2026, on a positive note, with the benchmark Nifty 50 advancing +0.56%, or 134 points, to settle at 24212.15. The Nifty Bank index also mirrored this upward trend, posting a gain of +0.70%, signaling broad-based strength in the financial sector.
Top Gainers
| Company | Price | Change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Shriram Finance Ltd. (SHRIRAMFIN) | ₹1131 | +2.26% |
| Eternal Ltd. (ETERNAL) | ₹327.2 | +2.25% |
| Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd. (KOTAKBANK) | ₹397.2 | +1.78% |
| Bajaj Finance Ltd. (BAJFINANCE) | ₹1096 | +1.46% |
| JIO Financial Services Ltd. (JIOFIN) | ₹246.65 | +1.44% |
| Axis Bank Ltd. (AXISBANK) | ₹1250.9 | +1.29% |
| JSW Steel Ltd. (JSWSTEEL) | ₹1300.1 | +1.11% |
| Bharti Airtel Ltd. (BHARTIARTL) | ₹1943 | +1.09% |
| HDFC Life Insurance Company Ltd. (HDFCLIFE) | ₹542 | +1.06% |
| HDFC Bank Ltd. (HDFCBANK) | ₹726.55 | +0.91% |
The top gainers’ list was overwhelmingly dominated by the financial sector, showcasing robust performance across NBFCs, private banks, and insurance. Shriram Finance Ltd. led the charge, climbing +2.26%, following its announcement regarding the allotment of equity shares and submission of compliance certificates to the exchanges. Eternal Ltd. was another significant gainer, surging +2.25%, propelled by news of its Q1FY27 consolidated net profit experiencing a substantial three-fold jump, alongside a strong surge in total income. Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd. also posted a healthy gain of +1.78%, coinciding with its investor presentation and newspaper publication. Other prominent financial heavyweights such as Bajaj Finance, JIO Financial Services, Axis Bank, and HDFC Bank further solidified the sector’s bullish sentiment with respectable gains. Outside of finance, JSW Steel from the metals sector and telecom giant Bharti Airtel also featured among the day’s top performers.
Top Losers
| Company | Price | Change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Hindalco Industries Ltd. (HINDALCO) | ₹1029.5 | −0.91% |
| Asian Paints Ltd. (ASIANPAINT) | ₹2613.7 | −0.65% |
| Interglobe Aviation Ltd. (INDIGO) | ₹5172.5 | −0.39% |
| Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd. (APOLLOHOSP) | ₹8721 | −0.33% |
| Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (SUNPHARMA) | ₹1895.4 | −0.24% |
| Max Healthcare Institute Ltd. (MAXHEALTH) | ₹996.2 | −0.08% |
| ITC Ltd. (ITC) | ₹266.85 | −0.07% |
| State Bank Of India (SBIN) | ₹1047.9 | −0.07% |
| Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Ltd. (ONGC) | ₹237.9 | −0.04% |
| Tata Steel Ltd. (TATASTEEL) | ₹183.95 | −0.03% |
Conversely, the declines among the top losers were relatively subdued, with no stock experiencing a significant drop. The metals sector saw some downward pressure, with Hindalco Industries Ltd. leading the losers at −0.91%, and Tata Steel Ltd. also closing marginally lower. Other prominent decliners included consumer goods giant Asian Paints Ltd., aviation major Interglobe Aviation Ltd., and select healthcare providers like Apollo Hospitals and Max Healthcare, though their losses were contained. State Bank of India was the sole public sector bank to appear on the losers’ list, recording only a marginal dip.
The clear divergence, with strong gains in financials and modest corrections elsewhere, points to a targeted positive sentiment in the market, particularly favoring the banking and NBFC space for the day.