Stock market today: Nifty50 hits all-time high above 26,300; BSE Sensex rises over 570 points – The Times of India

Stock market today: Nifty50 and BSE Sensex, the Indian stock benchmark indices, rose sharply in trade on Tuesday. While Nifty50 recorded a lifetime closing high, BSE Sensex rose around 600 points. Nifty50 ended the day at 26,328.55, up 182 points or 0.70%. BSE Sensex ended at 85,762.01, up 573 points or 0.67%.Dr. VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Investments Limited said, “The impressive 25.8% year-on-year increase in passenger car sales in December bodes well for the auto industry. More importantly, this data confirms the growth momentum in the economy. It remains to be seen whether this growth will continue in the future, albeit at a slower pace.” It is extremely important that the growth momentum in the economy continues as only that can provide the much-needed earnings growth that the market needs to remain resilient and gradually move upwards.”“The positive news about the automotive industry is largely in prices. One sector that lagged last year was the consumer durables sector, which has the potential to catch up in the future. The favorable impact of the interest rate cuts and VAT cuts have yet to be reflected in the demand for consumer durables. In the short term, this is a segment that has good prospects.”Auto stocks rose, lifting broader markets, while weakness in certain FMCG names capped overall upside potential. In contrast, ITC continued its sharp decline under sustained pressure following a wave of broker bond downgrades that warned of earnings headwinds from the government’s recent cigarette tax hike. ITC’s weakness caused the fast-moving consumer goods index to fall 1.4%.On the institutional side, foreign institutional investors sold shares worth around Rs 3,269 crore on January 1, while domestic institutional investors provided some support by buying shares worth Rs 1,526 crore.Global stocks started 2026 on firmer footing in thin holiday trading, extending the rally seen in late December. Investors are looking forward to a year that is expected to test the strength of the AI-driven market boom, experience a leadership transition at the US Federal Reserve and face potentially higher volatility under President Donald Trump. Low liquidity kept moves across asset classes subdued, with markets in Japan and China closed and several Asian stock exchanges reopening after the New Year holidays.Precious metals continued to build on their strong momentum. Gold rose 0.9% to $4,351.70 an ounce, while silver rose 2% to $72.63. Gold posted its biggest annual gain in 46 years in 2025, while silver and platinum posted record gains, driven by Federal Reserve rate cuts, geopolitical tensions, central bank purchases and inflows of exchange-traded funds.On the stock markets, the MSCI Asia-Pacific index (excluding Japan) rose 0.66%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index rose 1.24%. U.S. futures traded higher, with S&P 500 futures up 0.29% and Nasdaq futures up 0.36%. European futures were mixed, with Euro Stoxx 50 futures down 0.5%, while FTSE futures rose 0.1%.Oil prices also rose slightly in the first trading session of the year, recovering modestly after their steepest annual decline since 2020. The move came amid renewed geopolitical concerns following Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil infrastructure and increased US pressure on Venezuelan exports. Brent crude futures rose 14 cents to $60.99 a barrel by 0146 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude rose 14 cents to $57.56 a barrel.(Disclaimer: Recommendations and views on the stock market, other asset classes or personal finance management tips given by experts are their own. These views do not represent the views of The Times of India)