Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty ended marginally higher on Monday (May 18, 2026) after facing sharp losses in intraday trade, supported by value buying in IT and select blue-chip counters.

However, a weak rupee against the U.S. dollar and rising global crude prices amid escalated tensions in West Asia capped the gains, traders said.

In an extremely volatile trade, the 30-share BSE Sensex increased by 77.05 points, or 0.10%, to settle at 75,315.04. During the day, it tanked 1,134.78 points, or 1.50%, to 74,180.26.

The 50-share NSE Nifty edged higher by 6.45 points, or 0.03%, to end at 23,649.95.

From the Sensex firms, Tech Mahindra, Infosys, Bharti Airtel, Bajaj Finserv, Sun Pharma, HCL Tech, Bajaj Finance and Tata Consultancy Services were among the major winners.

In contrast, Tata Steel, Power Grid, State Bank of India and NTPC were major laggards.

“The prolonged stalemate between the U.S. and Iran continues to cast a shadow over near-term sentiment, yet the equity market managed to recover intraday losses and closed on a flat note, supported by value buying in IT and banking stocks. The ongoing earnings season has provided a constructive narrative, but caution persists as higher bond yields, elevated crude oil prices, and a weakening rupee reinforce inflationary concerns,” Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments Limited, said.

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, traded 0.73% higher at $110.10 per barrel.

“Indian equity markets staged a strong intraday recovery today after witnessing weakness during the opening phase as investors shifted from panic-driven selling towards selective value buying and aggressive short covering,” Hariprasad K, Research Analyst and Founder, Livelong Wealth, said.

“One of the biggest outperformers in today’s session was the IT sector, with the Nifty IT index surging more than 2%. The sector is increasingly emerging as a defensive allocation during periods of global uncertainty,” he added.

In Asian markets, Japan’s benchmark Nikkei, Shanghai’s SSE Composite index and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng ended lower, while South Korea’s benchmark Kospi settled in positive territory.

Markets in Europe were trading on a mixed note.

U.S. markets ended over 1% lower on Friday (May 15, 2026).

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) bought equities worth ₹1,329.17 crore on Friday (May 15, 2026), according to exchange data.

In the previous session on Friday (May 15, 2026), the Sensex dropped 160.73 points, or 0.21%, to settle at 75,237.99. The Nifty settled lower by 46.10 points, or 0.19%, at 23,643.50, snapping its two-day gaining streak.

Published – May 18, 2026 05:17 pm IST

Foreign fund outflows and a weak trend in global markets further added to the bearish trend.
| Photo Credit: Reuters