Indian equity indices kicked off the first trading session of 2026 on a higher note. The NSE Nifty 50 opened 64 points, or 0.25%, higher at 26,194. The BSE Sensex opened 196 points, or 23%, higher at 85,416.

The Bank Nifty opened 95 points or 0.16% higher at 59,678. Similarly, the small and mid-cap stocks opened in the green. The Nifty Midcap opened 94 points or 0.16% higher at 60,578.

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Technically, on the daily charts, the index has formed a strong reversal pattern, and a long bullish candle supports the possibility of a further uptrend from current levels, said Shrikant Chouhan, Head of Equity Research at Kotak Institutional Equities.

“We believe that 26,050 and 25,850 would act as immediate support zones for traders. As long as the market trades above these levels, bullish sentiment is likely to continue, and the market could potentially reach 26,250. Further gains could even take the market to 25,550. On the other hand, below 25,850, the uptrend can turn weak,” added Chouhan. 

Indian equities underperformed global peers in 2025. Large and Mid caps were relatively resilient, while small caps corrected meaningfully, reflecting valuation normalisation and earnings downgrades. Nifty 50 and Nifty Midcap 150 gained 10.1% and 4.7%, respectively, while Nifty Smallcap 250 lost 7.3%, respectively, (as on December 15, 2025). Among sectors, Auto, Metals, and Bank were the top performers while Media, Realty and IT underperformed, said Mirae Asset Mutual Funds in a year-end note.

Let’s take a look at the key factors to watch out for today’s trading session 

Early gainers and laggards

In early trade, among the Nifty 50, top gainers at this hour were Wipro, M&M, Eternal (Zomato), Shriram Finance, and InterGlobe Aviation. On the flip side, the key laggards in the Nifty 50 pack included ITC, Dr Reddy’s Lab, ONGC, Cipla, and Bajaj Finance. 

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Major movers on Thursday

The stocks that were the major movers in the opening trade included HDFC Bank, Infosys, Tata Steel, Hindalco Industries, and Kotak Mahindra Bank, which were the major movers in the morning trade.