Post Market Update Today Dec 18: Nifty, Sensex End Marginally Lower; IT Index Gains Over 1%, AMC Stocks Rally

The Indian equity benchmark indices began the session on a tentative note; however, at lower levels, bulls regrouped and buying interest emerged, helping the Nifty 50 briefly move past the 25,900 mark. Despite this recovery, the indices failed to sustain at higher levels and pared most of their gains by the close, ending the day with minor losses. Consequently, the benchmarks extended their losing streak to the fourth consecutive session. The Nifty 50 closed marginally lower by 3 points, or 0.01%, at 25,815.55, while the Sensex declined by 77.84 points, or 0.09%, to settle at 84,481.81.

The profit-booking seen at higher levels in the Indian markets can be attributed to the cautious stance adopted by market participants ahead of the Bank of Japan’s (BoJ) interest rate decision scheduled for December 19.

Stock-Specific Highlights

Among individual stocks,

• Recently listed e-commerce company Meesho’s share price continued its strong post-listing rally on Thursday, hitting a fresh high and crossing the milestone of ₹1 lakh crore in market capitalisation.
• Asset management companies (AMC) like HDFC AMC share price surged over 7% as SEBI's final mutual fund rules prove less stringent than feared. 

Nifty PSU Bank - Top Gainer

On the sectoral front, 5 out of all 11 sectoral indices closed in positive territory. The Nifty IT sector emerged as the top gainer with the majority of the constituents ending the session in green. The Nifty IT index logged its highest single day gain of 1.21%, since December 4, 2025. On other hand, Nifty Media emerged as the top loser, down by 1.27%. 

Broader Markets End Mixed

On Thursday, the broader market indices outperformed the frontline gauge by ending the session in green. The Nifty Midcap 100 index and Nifty Smallcap 100 gained 0.32% and 0.10%, respectively. 

Nifty 50: Top Pullers and Draggers of the Day

The key drivers of the index gains were:

• Infosys: +19.83 points
• TCS: +14.2 points
• ICICI Bank: +7.2 points

On the other hand, these stocks dragged the index:

• HDFC Bank: -13.4 points
• Sun Pharma: -10.84 points
• LT: -8.76 points

Market Breadth

As of December 18, 2025, market breadth was in favour of declining stocks. About 1,662 stocks declined, while 1,035 stocks advanced.

Disclaimer: The article is for informational purposes only and not investment advice.