Indian markets delivered a strong, broad-based rally on Friday, 02 January 2026, with both Nifty and Sensex hitting fresh record levels, led by PSU commodities, power and financials, even as FMCG came under heavy profit‑booking. Market breadth and midcap action confirmed a risk‑on tone heading into the first full trading week of 2026.
Index summary and breadth
- Sensex: Closed at 85,762.01, up about 0.67% (≈+573–584 points), marking a new all‑time high and extending its 1‑month and 1‑year gains to roughly 0.8% and 8% respectively.
- Nifty 50: Ended at 26,327.75–26,328.55, up ~0.70% (≈+181–182 points), also at a record close.
- Bank Nifty: Finished at 60,150.95, up 0.74%, signalling leadership from financials.
- Nifty IT: Closed at 38,320.30, up 0.39%, participating modestly in the rally.
- Nifty Midcap 100: Gained 1.01% (≈+615 points) to 61,366, with 73 stocks advancing and only 26 declining, highlighting strong midcap breadth.
On the BSE, the advance–decline ratio stood near 1.14, reflecting a second consecutive session where advancing shares outnumbered decliners and reinforcing the stock‑specific opportunity environment.
Top Nifty 50 gainers and losers
Top gainers (Nifty 50, 02 Jan 2026)
- Coal India:
- NTPC:
- Hindalco:
- Trent:
- State Bank of India (SBI):
These moves show a clear tilt towards PSU/commodities (Coal India, NTPC, Hindalco) and quality financials/retail (SBI, Trent) as leading risk‑on plays.
Top losers (Nifty 50, 02 Jan 2026)
- ITC:
- Nestlé India:
- Kotak Mahindra Bank:
- Shriram Finance:
- Bajaj Auto and Axis Bank:
Overall, FMCG was the most notable pocket of weakness, driven primarily by regulatory headlines and valuation concerns.
Sector-wise performance snapshot
- Banking & Financials (Nifty Bank)
- Power & Utilities
- Metals & Commodities
- Midcaps
- Autos & FMCG
- IT
Volume and market internals
- High‑volume losers:
- Broad market:
This volume pattern suggests that the day’s rally was not narrow; it was supported by meaningful participation across indices and capitalisation buckets, with key losers largely driven by news‑specific factors rather than system‑wide derisking.
What this Nifty & Sensex breakdown implies
- Trend: The uptrend remains intact, with both indices at record closes and sector rotation favouring cyclicals, PSUs, power, metals and financials over FMCG defensives.
- Risk‑on tone: Strong midcap action and leadership from Coal India, NTPC, Hindalco, SBI and Torrent Power reflect a constructive risk environment.
- Stock‑specific risk: The sharp sell‑off in ITC and pressure in Nestlé and other FMCG names highlight how regulatory and policy changes can quickly impact high‑valuation defensives.
For traders and investors using 02 January 2026 as the latest reference (since 03 January is a holiday), this sector‑wise and stock‑wise breakdown shows that dips in quality cyclicals and leaders remain buyable, while FMCG and certain premium names may need fresh valuation and policy risk reassessment before adding exposure.
