Benchmark indices held firm in midday trade on Tuesday, powered by a strong rally in information technology stocks following quarterly earnings. The Sensex was trading at 72,498.13, up 573.45 points or 0.80 per cent, while the Nifty 50 stood at 22,544.30, up 180.95 points or 0.81 per cent, as of 1.19 pm on October 13, 2026.
HCL Technologies led the charge, surging 7.44 per cent to ₹1,314.00 from its previous close of ₹1,223.00 after its earnings announcement, emerging as the top Nifty gainer by a wide margin. TCS followed with a 5.86 per cent gain to ₹2,249.50 from ₹2,125.00. Tech Mahindra climbed 4.33 per cent to ₹1,534.70 from ₹1,471.00, while Infosys added 2.94 per cent to ₹1,049.95 from ₹1,020.00, making IT the dominant sectoral theme of the session. Hindustan Unilever rounded out the top five gainers, rising 2.69 per cent to ₹1,869.70 from ₹1,820.70.
Ponmudi R, CEO of Enrich Money, noted that “the IT sector advanced nearly 2 per cent… the early gains suggest continued investor interest in technology stocks, even as broader market sentiment remains guarded.”
Gainers and losers
The broader market, however, told a different story. On BSE, declines outnumbered advances — 2,335 stocks fell against 1,806 gainers, with 258 unchanged, out of 4,399 stocks traded. Stocks hitting 52-week lows at 158 outnumbered those at 52-week highs at 104, while 194 stocks were locked in lower circuits against 142 in upper circuits.
On the losers’ board, Kotak Mahindra Bank slipped 1.05 per cent to ₹438.75 from ₹443.40, while Max Healthcare fell 0.96 per cent to ₹857.60 from ₹865.95. Eternal declined 0.90 per cent to ₹320.10 from ₹323.00, Maruti Suzuki dropped 0.85 per cent to ₹11,219.00 from ₹11,315.00, and Adani Ports eased 0.67 per cent to ₹1,742.20 from ₹1,754.00.
In currencies, the rupee extended its rally, with USD/INR trading near 95.265, down 0.52 per cent on the day. The RBI’s dollar window for oil companies is expected to remove $10–12 billion in monthly dollar demand, removing a structural pressure point.
Crude slips, gold gains
On commodities, MCX Crude fell 1.39 per cent to ₹8,855, while WTI traded near $92.52, down 0.70 per cent, as an expected increase in Russian diesel supplies partially offset geopolitical concerns. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Navy claimed a third supertanker strike in the Strait of Hormuz, while the Houthi attack on Riyadh airport — which killed 13 people and injured over 300 — kept risk premiums alive. Goldman Sachs raised its December Brent forecast to $90, attributing a geopolitical premium of just over $20 a barrel to current prices. Russia’s dismissal of President Donald Trump’s proposed “energy ceasefire,” according to Ponmudi R, “has added to geopolitical uncertainty, leaving investors watchful of developments that could disrupt energy supplies.”
COMEX Gold edged up 0.30 per cent to $4,203, holding above the key $4,200 mark. MCX Gold was near flat at ₹149,519, down 0.02 per cent, with a stronger rupee offsetting firmer global prices. COMEX Silver slipped 0.18 per cent to $60.405 and MCX Silver fell 0.28 per cent to ₹222,246, both lagging gold as rate-hike expectations continued to weigh on non-yielding metals.
With the session still nearly two hours from close, traders remain focused on whether the Nifty can hold above 22,500 and make a decisive push toward the 22,600 resistance zone.