On Monday, August 18, Indian markets closed sharply higher after the government proposed major GST reforms to lower prices of essentials and electronics.
At the closing bell, the Nifty 50 ended up by 245.65 points or 1%, at 24,876.95. The Sensex jumped by 676.09 points or 0.84% to 81,273.75. The Nifty 50 gained 1% after a 2-month period, led by the auto stock Maruti Suzuki
New Delhi will propose a two-rate structure of 5% and 18%, doing away with the 12% and 28% tax that was imposed on some items, a government official said on Friday, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the reforms.
On the sectoral front, 8 out of 11 key sectoral indices ended in positive territory. Meanwhile, broader indices like Nifty Midcap 100 and Smallcap 100 ended higher.
Among individual stocks,
The Nifty Auto index rose by 4.18%, emerging as the leading sectoral performer. The index hit a 10-month high after the government announced that it is considering a reduction in goods and services tax (GST) on small cars as part of broader consumption tax reforms. Maruti Suzuki and Ashok Leyland emerged as the top gainers among the Nifty Auto index. On the flip side, Nifty IT slipped by 0.57%.
The key drivers of the index gains were:
On the other hand, these stocks weighed on the index:
The broader market indices ended on a Positive note. The Mid-cap 100 index ended up by 1.08% and the Small-cap 100 index closed higher by 1.38%.
As of August 18, 2025, the market breadth was in favour of advancing stocks. Out of 3,147 stocks traded on the NSE, 2,014 advanced, 1,047 declined, and 86 remained unchanged.
A total of 86 stocks touched their 52-week highs, while 71 hit their 52-week lows. Additionally, 125 stocks were locked in their upper circuits, whereas 83 stocks were in lower circuits.
Disclaimer: The article is for informational purposes only and not investment advice.
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