Dalal Street extended its bullish run on August 20, with both benchmark indices posting gains for the fifth consecutive session. Optimism around the Centre’s Goods and Services Tax (GST) reforms kept investor sentiment strong.
At the close, the Sensex gained 213.45 points (0.26%) to 81,857.84, while the Nifty 50 advanced 69.90 points (0.28%) to 25,050.55.
Market Breadth and Sectoral Performance
Market breadth remained firm with 2071 shares advancing, against 1588 declining, while 124 remained unchanged.
Nifty IT surged 2.6%, driven by positive updates from Infosys and hopes of a U.S. Fed rate cut.
Nifty FMCG rose 1.32% and Nifty Realty gained 1.01%, showing strong buying interest.
On the flip side, Nifty Media slipped 1.94%, while Pharma (-0.42%) and PSU Bank (-0.24%) ended lower.
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IT Stocks Take the Lead
The rally in IT shares was the highlight of the day, with Infosys distributing 80% variable pay to employees, reflecting healthy quarterly performance. Broader optimism in global tech also boosted the index.
Technical & Market Outlook
On the charts, the Nifty reclaimed the 25,000 mark after retesting support near 24,800, indicating sustained strength.
“A decisive move above 25,100 could open the path towards 25,200–25,300 in the near term,” said Vaishali Parekh, VP–Technical Research, PL Capital.
