Equities Snap Four-Day Losing Streak as Reliance, HDFC Bank Lead Rebound

An end-of-day recap of all that transpired in the Indian markets, highlighting the major price movements and the factors driving them

iStock.com

By Dehuti Jani

December 19, 2025 at 11:37 AM IST

Indian equity benchmarks posted a firm close on Friday, snapping a four-session losing streak, supported by steady buying in index heavyweights such as Reliance Industries and HDFC Bank. Sentiment was further lifted by the upbeat listing of ICICI Prudential AMC and a pullback in the Indian rupee, while softer US inflation data buoyed global risk appetite and reinforced expectations of further Federal Reserve easing next year. The Nifty 50 rose 0.58% to 25,966.4 and the BSE Sensex gained 0.53% to 84,929.36, after both indices opened on a strong note and touched intraday highs of 25,993 and 85,067.50, respectively.

Bharat Electronics, Power Grid Corporation and Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles led gains on the Sensex, rising over 2% each, while Asian Paints, Reliance Industries, Larsen & Toubro, Bajaj Finance, Bajaj Finserv and Infosys advanced around 1%. On the downside, HCL Technologies slipped about 1%, with Kotak Mahindra Bank, ICICI Bank and TCS also closing lower.

Top Movers of the Day

Gujarat Ambuja Exports gained over 5% after commencing commercial production at its maize starch-based fermentation plant for sodium gluconate.

NBCC (India) added 3.6% after winning a ₹1.79 billion order from IIM Sambalpur, extending its ongoing rally.

Tyre stocks outperformed on expectations of margin recovery amid softer raw material costs. JK Tyre & Industries jumped 7% to a new high, while CEAT, Apollo Tyres, TVS , and MRF also advanced.

Ather Energy rose 4.6% after approving the incorporation of a subsidiary to operate as an insurance corporate agent.

Infrastructure stocks rallied on fresh order wins. GPT Infraprojects jumped 13.4% after securing an ₹18 billion Mumbai flyover contract, while Niraj Cement Structurals gained 16.7% and Seamec added 1.3%.

Vodafone Idea rose 3.4% intraday to ₹11.7 after raising ₹33 billion via debentures. The funds will be used by Vodafone Idea Telecom Infrastructure to meet payment obligations, providing near-term balance-sheet relief. Bharti Airtel’s shares surged 10% to a record ₹1,688 after the board approved the final call of ₹401.25 per share on 392 million partly paid-up shares, signalling progress on capital consolidation.

Groww’s parent Billionbrains Garage Ventures surged nearly 13%, extending gains after Jefferies initiated coverage with a ‘Buy’ rating and a target price implying 25% upside.

Meesho slipped 7%, snapping a four-day rally that had pushed its market capitalisation above ₹1 trillion, as investors booked profits in recently listed names.

Titan Company hit a fresh record high, rising 1% on optimism around its growth outlook.

Shriram Finance climbed nearly 5% after its board approved MUFG’s acquisition of a 20% stake, strengthening its long-term strategic profile.

ICICI Prudential AMC made a strong market debut, emerging as the second-best listing among IPOs larger than ₹100 billion in 2025, underscoring sustained investor appetite for quality financial services names despite a cautious broader market.

Futures & Options
Nifty December 2025 futures settled at 26,036.90, trading at a 70.50-point premium to the cash index. Volatility eased, with India VIX slipping 1.90% to 9.52, reflecting a calmer near-term outlook. Shriram Finance, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, and Infosys were the most actively traded stock futures in the NSE’s F&O segment. The December 2025 contracts are set to expire on 30 December 2025.

Bonds
Indian government bond yields edged higher on Friday with the benchmark 10-year yield ending at 6.6017%, up from 6.5738% on Thursday, on fresh supply after the previous session’s RBI-led liquidity boost. In the day’s auction, the Reserve Bank of India raised ₹300 billion through the sale of the 6.01% GS 2030 and 7.09% GS 2074, with demand remaining healthy across maturities. The 2030 bond cleared at a cut-off yield of 6.3527% while the long-dated 2074 paper saw stronger appetite, clearing at a yield of 7.3702% underscoring steady investor interest despite near-term pressure on yields from supply concerns.

Forex
The rupee staged a sharp rebound on Friday, closing at ₹89.27 per US dollar, up over 1% on the day, after recovering from record lows above ₹91 earlier in the week. The currency strengthened from around ₹89.96 in early trade, supported by likely Reserve Bank of India intervention, improved corporate dollar inflows, and softer global crude oil prices. The move helped ease near-term pressure on the rupee, though traders remain cautious about sustainability amid lingering external risks.

Crypto
Crypto markets traded mostly lower as renewed global interest rate concerns dampened risk appetite across digital assets. Bitcoin briefly slipped below the $86,000 mark, dragging broader sentiment lower despite healthy trading volumes and evidence of long-term accumulation.Ethereum showed relative resilience compared with peers, while Solana, XRP and Cardano faced selling pressure as investors stayed cautious amid macro-driven volatility.

US Stock Futures
US stock futures were mixed on Friday following a strong rally in the previous session. Futures linked to the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 edged higher by about 0.25% and 0.43%, respectively, as investors continued to draw comfort from cooler-than-expected US inflation data for November. The softer price pressures have reinforced expectations that the Federal Reserve could begin cutting interest rates as early as March 2026.

US Treasury Notes
US Treasury yields moved higher on Friday as markets reacted to the Bank of Japan’s interest rate hike and reassessed recent US inflation data. The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield climbed to around 4.14%–4.15%, while the 2-year yield rose to about 3.47%. Despite a cooler-than-expected November inflation print, investors remained cautious about drawing firm conclusions, prompting some profit-taking in bonds and pushing yields modestly higher.

Top News