On Monday, April 28, 2025, Indian stock markets displayed a robust recovery, with major indices showing significant gains during intraday trading. The NIFTY Midcap 100 index surged by 1.61%, reaching a level of 54,432.95, while the NIFTY Smallcap 100 index climbed 0.90% to settle at 16,695.40. This upward movement came after the broader market opened mixed but quickly gained momentum, with the main equity benchmark indices soaring over 1.3%.
In the past month, the Nifty Midcap 100 index has made impressive strides, advancing over 5.2%, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 gauge has seen a growth of 3.7%. This upward trend is indicative of a recovering market, especially in light of the geopolitical tensions between India and Pakistan, which have driven up defense stocks.
Among the standout performers on the NIFTY Midcap 100 index, Bharat Dynamics (BDL) emerged as a notable gainer, climbing 5.74%. Following closely was Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders, which also saw an increase of 5%. Other top gainers included Lupin (4.73%), Kalyan Jewellers (3.98%), Indraprastha Gas (3.95%), Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail (3.92%), and Supreme Industries (3.63%).
Conversely, L&T Finance experienced a setback, becoming the biggest loser of the day with a decline of over 5%. Other stocks that faced losses included Mphasis (-2.36%), Patanjali Foods (-1.31%), Bandhan Bank (-0.84%), and Mahindra & Mahindra Finance (-0.74%).
On the same day, the NIFTY Smallcap 100 index opened at 16,470.25, reaching a high of 16,733.50 and a low of 16,426.45 during the trading session. Notable gainers in this category included Sonata Software (7.58%), Data Patterns (7.26%), Mahanagar Gas (3.74%), Welspun Corp (3.42%), and Kaynes Technology India (3.2%). Meanwhile, Ramkrishna Forgings (-5.22%), Five-Star Business Finance (-4.03%), Dr. Lal Path Labs (-2.40%), Newgen Software Technologies (-1.86%), and Jupiter Waggons (-1.84%) were among the biggest losers.
Meanwhile, the BSE Sensex also saw a positive close, ending at 80,622.37, an increase of 404.00 points or 0.50%. The Nifty followed suit, rising by 115.40 points or 0.47% to reach 24,443.90. The indices reflected a cautious optimism among investors, despite external pressures.
On April 29, 2025, the Nifty opened positively at 24,370, touching an intraday high of 24,457 before facing selling pressure that pulled it down to a low of 24,290. The sectoral performance revealed strength in IT, Oil & Gas, and PSU Banks, while sectors such as Pharma, Metals, Healthcare, and Media stocks struggled.
Sundar Kewat, a Technical and Derivatives Analyst at Ashika Institutional Equity, noted, "On the global front, investors maintained a cautious stance amid uncertainty surrounding the potential impact of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs. Market participants are closely monitoring upcoming corporate earnings and key economic data from Wall Street to assess the broader implications of these trade measures on corporate performance and economic momentum."
In the derivatives segment, 94 stocks advanced while 127 declined. Notably, open interest build-up was observed in PNB Housing, Tata Technologies, TVS Motor, Solar Industries, and Trent. The Nifty's highest open interest on the call side was noted at the 24,500 and 24,400 strike prices, while significant accumulation on the put side was seen at the 24,300 and 24,000 strikes. The current Put-Call Ratio (PCR) stands at 0.86, indicating a slightly bearish sentiment in the market.
In corporate news, Indian Oil announced a dividend payment for its shareholders, expected to yield nearly 9% on each stock. Additionally, a cigarette manufacturing company declared a final dividend of 100% or Rs 10 for FY2025. The announcement is part of their quarterly results.
As the markets continued to fluctuate, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) remained net buyers, marking their ninth straight session of inflows with Rs 2,474.10 crore on April 28, 2025. Domestic institutional investors (DIIs) also maintained a positive trend, with net purchases totaling Rs 2,817.64 crore during the same period.
In the latest trading session, the GIFT Nifty was trading at 24,406.00, showing a loss of 24 points (-0.10%). The NIFTY MIDCAP 150 index closed at 20,009.05, gaining 0.21% or 42.35 points. During the trading session, this index reached a high of 20,163.00 and a low of 19,962.90.
The NIFTY MIDCAP 150 index has demonstrated varied returns, with a year-to-date return of -5.36%, a one-week return of -0.12%, and a one-month return of 4.65%. Over a three-month period, the index returned 2.71%, while it has shown a six-month return of -4.11% and a one-year return of 6.17%. Notably, over the past two and three years, the Nifty Midcap 150 Index has provided returns of 67.53% and 78.62%, respectively.
Technical indicators for the NIFTY MIDCAP 150 index during the session revealed an SMA50 of 18,796.74 and an SMA200 of 20,561.40. The RSI (14) stood at 61.26, with the MACD (12,26,9) at 339.52. Other indicators included a Stochastic (20,3) at 90.94, a ROC (20) at 4.72, a CCI (20) at 101.36, and an ADX (14) at 16.02.
As the market closed, it was evident that investors are navigating a complex landscape marked by geopolitical uncertainties and evolving economic conditions. With defense stocks gaining traction amid these tensions, the market’s resilience continues to be tested as it seeks stability in an unpredictable environment.
