The market moved into the midday session with a slightly cautious tone, even as the headline indices hit all-time highs in opening trade. The Nifty has been struggling below 26,200 while the Sensex slipped below 86,000 levels . A few pockets of strength held the broader market up, led once again by PSU banks, but the undercurrent remained uneven as several stock-specific triggers dictated sharp moves across sectors.
Here are the top movers and shakers at this hour:
Auto stocks in focus: Mahindra & Mahindra
Mahindra & Mahindra share price hit a 52-week high after the company released its November sales data. November vehicle sales were up 19%. The company’s commentary around its Electric Origin SUVs and the rollout of the XEV 9S also supported sentiment. Hero MotoCorp share price jumped over 2%.
Wockhardt
The shares of Wockhardt sharply surged more than 18^ on December 1 after the company announced that the US FDA has formally accepted the New Drug Application (NDA) for its antibiotic Zaynich.
The shares of the company rose to Rs 1,384 apiece on Monday, snapping a two-session losing streak. Zaynich targets complicated urinary tract infections (cUTIs) caused by multi-drug resistant (MDR) gram-negative bacteria.
Lenskart
Lenskart share price jumped over 7% at the day’s high after the company posted a 19.59% rise in Q2 FY26 profit and a 20.76% increase in revenue from operations. By midday, the stock was still up around 3%, supported by Jefferies positive views on the stock and indicating an upside of 18%.
Tejas Networks
Tejas Networks share price climbed 5.8% in early hours as the company confirmed receiving Rs 84.95 crore under the PLI scheme for telecom and networking products. The gain moderated later, but the stock still held an advance of 2.79%, enough to keep it among the better performers of the session.
Natco Pharma
Natco Pharma share price rose 5% after ICRA reaffirmed and assigned new credit ratings for the company. The market viewed this as a stabilising factor after a volatile year. Even with the recent rebound, the stock remains well below its 52-week peak.
PSU Banks
PSU banks were once again the most confident pocket of the market, refusing to step back even as the benchmarks hovered in the red. The Nifty PSU Bank index gained 1%, marking yet another session where state-run lenders outperformed the broader indices.
SBI share price gained up to 3% and then traded flat maintaining momentum after touching its record high earlier in the week. Bank of Baroda share price rose up to 3% as well, while Indian Bank share price climbed over 2%%, supported by continued domestic flows. Canara Bank and Punjab National Bank share prices also advanced 1% to 3%, but traded flat during the midday session riding on the broader optimism built around stronger earnings and the ongoing clean-up cycle across state-run lenders.
Sterling and Wilson Renewable Energy
Sterling and Wilson Renewable Energy share price rose 5.55% after the company announced a five-year partnership with Adani Green and confirmed receipt of a Rs 1,381 crore BOS order for solar projects at Khavda. The stock held a gain of 3.20% through midday, as investors digested the scale of the order inflow accumulated this fiscal year.
GTPL Hathway
GTPL Hathway share price gained 6.3% at the day’s high, though the move cooled to just over 1.5% by midday. The trigger came from the company’s launch of “GTPL Infinity,” which is expected to strengthen its competitive positioning in regional broadband and cable markets.
Tobacco Stocks
Tobacco stocks were deep in the red after reports surfaced that the government would introduce two bills aimed at levying excise duty on tobacco products and a fresh cess on pan masala.
ITC share price declined 1.19% in early trade. VST Industries share price slipped around 0.6%, while Godfrey Phillips India share price fell up to 1.5%, showing a cautious market bracing for more taxation-related overhang in the sector.
