Today’s Stock Market Closing, 19 Aug: Nifty and Sensex Extend Yesterday’s Gains by 0.4%, Nifty Auto Adds 1.31% With Oil Refinery & Textiles Stocks Surge

At the closing bell, the Nifty 50 ended up by 103.70 points or 0.42%, at 24,980.65. The Sensex jumped by 370.64 points or 0.46% to 81,644.39. Nifty 50 Index closed just below the 25,000 mark, led by a 2.78% rise in Reliance Industries. Nifty Auto index added 1.31%, extending Monday's 4.2% gains, on hopes of a demand boost from GST cuts.

Share prices of oil refiners Bharat Petroleum (BPCL), Hindustan Petroleum (HPCL), and Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) moved higher as crude prices declined, driven by hopes that peace discussions involving Russia, Ukraine, and the US could potentially bring an end to the conflict and lead to easing of sanctions on Russian oil.

Share prices of textile companies such as Vardhman Textiles, Raymond Lifestyle, and Welspun Living gained between 3.8% and 10.3% after the government announced the removal of cotton import duties from August 19 to September 30, offering short-term relief to the garment sector.

On the sectoral front, 9 out of 11 key sectoral indices ended in positive territory. Meanwhile, broader indices like Nifty Midcap 100 and Smallcap 100 ended higher. 

Stock-Specific Highlights

Among individual stocks,

• Reliance Industries' share price rises over 2.78%, after Jio scraps 1 GB/day plan.
• Vodafone Idea share price advanced by 1.8%. 
• Vedanta share price rallied 2.74% ahead of the board meeting to consider a second interim dividend on August 21.

Nifty Media - Top Gainer of the Day

The Nifty Media index rose by 1.34%, emerging as the leading sectoral performer. PVR Inox and Hathway Cable & Datacom emerged as the top gainers among the Nifty Media index. On the flip side, Nifty Pharma slipped by 0.34%. 

Nifty 50: Top Pullers and Draggers of the Day

The key drivers of the index gains were:

• Reliance Industries:  +57.81 points
• Tata Motors: +10.98 points
• Bharti Airtel: +10.60 points

On the other hand, these stocks weighed on the index:

• HDFC Bank:  - 21.08 points
• Larsen & Toubro: - 5.75 points
• Mahindra & Mahindra: - 5.37 points

Broader Markets Positive

The broader market indices ended on a Positive note. The Mid-cap 100 index ended up by 0.97% and the Small-cap 100 index closed higher by 0.70%. 

Market Breadth

As of August 19, 2025, the market breadth was in favour of advancing stocks. Out of 3,078 stocks traded on the NSE, 2,050 advanced, 939 declined, and 89 remained unchanged. 

A total of 77 stocks touched their 52-week highs, while 40 hit their 52-week lows. Additionally, 118 stocks were locked in their upper circuits, whereas 54 stocks were in lower circuits. 

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