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Key gauges extend gains for third day on firm Asian peers
Mar-18-2026

Extending their winning run to the third day in a row, Indian equity benchmarks ended around a per cent higher on Wednesday, amid a slight drop in crude oil prices and a firm trend in global peers. A rally in IT, Realty and Telecom stocks also led to the optimistic trend in the domestic markets. 

Some of the important factors in trade:     

India, EU discuss Energy Security amid West Asia conflict: The escalating conflict in West Asia and its ripple effects on global energy security figured prominently in External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's high-level talks with his counterparts from the 27 European Union (EU) member states in Brussels.

Ramping up domestic LPG production to ensure supplies to households: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that the domestic production of LPG is being ramped up to ensure cooking gas supply to households during turbulent times amid the West Asia crisis.

India Inc raises $5.33 billion in January via ECBs, FCCBs: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its latest data report has showed that Indian companies raised a total of $5.33 billion from overseas markets during the month of January 2026, through External Commercial Borrowings (ECBs) and Foreign Currency Convertible Bonds (FCCBs).   

Sugar sector’s stocks remain in watch: Industry body ISMA said that India's sugar production reached 26.21 million tonne so far in the ongoing 2025-26 marketing year, up by 10.5 per cent from the year-ago period. 

Global front: European markets were trading higher even as the Eurozone’s annual inflation rate was confirmed at 1.9% in February 2026, up from January’s 16-month low of 1.7%, driven by a notable acceleration in services inflation. Asian markets settled higher, mirroring gains in US stocks and Treasuries as investors look past geopolitical tensions. 

Finally, the BSE Sensex rose 633.29 points or 0.83% to 76,704.13 and the CNX Nifty was up by 196.65 points or 0.83% to 23,777.80.             

The BSE Sensex touched high and low of 77,000.22 and 76,187.92 respectively. There were 24 stocks advancing against 6 stocks declining on the index.

The top gaining sectoral indices on the BSE were IT up by 2.82%, Realty up by 2.67%, Telecom up by 2.44%, TECK up by 2.38% and Consumer Discretionary up by 2.08%, while Metal down by 0.09% was the lone losing index on BSE. 

The top gainers on the Sensex were Eternal up by 3.37%, Tech Mahindra up by 3.27%, Infosys up by 2.84%, Mahindra & Mahindra up by 2.68% and HCL Technologies up by 2.62%. On the flip side, NTPC down by 1.29%, Hindustan Unilever down by 1.04%, Sun Pharma down by 0.87%, HDFC Bank down by 0.34% and ITC down by 0.30% were the top losers.

Meanwhile, Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) Secretary S Krishnan has said that the digital economy in India is likely to account for around 20 per cent of country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2030, driven by a growth rate that is double that of the broader economy. Krishnan stated that digital economy, comprising information technology (IT), IT-enabled services, and electronics sector, currently contributes about 13 per cent to the India's GDP.

He noted this upward trajectory will be further accelerated by the increased adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across sectors. Highlighting India's expanding global technology footprint, he stated that the country has signed Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) with over 53 nations to facilitate the worldwide expansion of its successful Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) model. These agreements span countries across the Global South, as well as several nations in Europe and Russia.

He said India has created a model for applying AI research into DPIs to create affordable and scalable solutions for the world. Under the India AI Mission, AI compute infrastructure is now being provided to domestic innovators, entrepreneurs, and researchers at one-third of prevailing market prices. Additionally, more than 10,000 datasets and homegrown AI models have been made available. He asserted that India’s software services exports, currently hovering around $250 billion, will not shrink but will undergo a structural shift.

CNX Nifty touched high and low of 23,862.25 and 23,618.45 respectively. There were 35 stocks advancing against 15 stocks declining on the index.  

The top gainers on Nifty were JIO Financial Services up by 4.59%, Eternal up by 3.46%, Tech Mahindra up by 3.05%, HCL Technologies up by 2.79% and Infosys up by 2.74%.  On the flip side, Cipla down by 1.19%, Hindustan Unilever down by 1.10%, Coal India down by 1.09%, NTPC down by 0.94% and Sun Pharma down by 0.72% were the top losers.

European markets were trading higher; UK’s FTSE 100 increased 23.45 points or 0.23% to 10,427.05, France’s CAC rose 78.51 points or 0.98% to 8,053.00 and Germany’s DAX gained 190.38 points or 0.8% to 23,921.30. 

Asian markets settled higher on Wednesday tracking Wall Street’s gains overnight. Investors were focusing on Fed Chair Jerome Powell's upcoming remarks for guidance on the Fed's stance regarding inflation, the labour market, and future rate paths. Risk appetite was also lifted by reports that Nvidia has secured approval from both the US and Chinese governments to sell and import its advanced H200 AI chips in the Chinese mainland, a significant reversal following over a year of tight restrictions. Japanese shares rose, with technology shares lead the rebound. Further, Japan’s exports rose 4.2% YoY to 9,571.6 billion Yen in February 2026. Indonesian market was closed for Hindu Saka New Year holidays and resume on March 25.

Asian Indices

Last Trade            

Change in Points

Change in %      

Shanghai Composite

4,062.98

13.08

0.32

Hang Seng

26,025.42

156.88

0.61

Jakarta Composite

--

--

--

KLSE Composite

1,729.81

18.82

1.10

Nikkei 225

55,239.40

1,539.01

2.87

Straits Times

5,002.17

66.20

1.34

KOSPI Composite

5,925.03

284.55

5.04

Taiwan Weighted

34,348.58

512.01

1.51
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