

Stocks to buy: Raja Venkatraman recommends three stocks for 19 March
Cummins India Ltd: Buy above ₹4,720 | Stop ₹4,600 | Target ₹5,050 (multiday)Infosys Ltd: Sell below ₹1,260 | Stop ₹1,295 | Target ₹1,210 (multiday)Hindustan Unilever Ltd: Sell below ₹2,140 | Stop ₹2,175 | Target ₹2,050 (multiday)On 18 March 2026, Indian equities extended their winning streak for a third straight session, buoyed by strong global sentiment and broad-based buying. The Nifty 50 briefly crossed the 23,850 mark intraday before settling at 23,777.80, up 196.65 points or 0.83%.
The Sensex mirrored this momentum, closing 633.29 points higher at 76,704.13. Gains were not limited to frontline indices—broader markets outperformed, with the Nifty Midcap 100 surging 2% and the Nifty Smallcap 100 advancing 1.6%, underscoring investor appetite across sectors.Despite the equity rally, currency markets painted a contrasting picture.
The Indian rupee weakened sharply against the US dollar, breaching the 92.50 level for the first time and ending at a record closing low of 92.63. The divergence highlighted optimism in equities amid global cues, even as currency pressures weighed on sentiment, marking a day of mixed signals for the financial markets.There is no escape from volatility, and the strong surge seen in the last few days has been quite prolific, offering relief to some.
However, as geopolitical turmoil deepens, we can only expect these rallies to be used to introduce fresh supply.We have been highlighting a revival from the gap support, and that did work to produce a sharp rebound would look to defend the levels around 22,800-23,000 until the situation worsens.It would be a good idea to abandon a long position if we close at 23,500, as it would signal the surrender of the recovery trend. While trends remain buoyant,
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