Stocks to buy today: Ankush Bajaj recommends three public-sector stocks for 20 March
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. The Indian stock market extended its gains for a third straight session on Wednesday, 19 March, with both benchmark indices closing higher. The BSE Sensex rose 147.79 points (0.20%) to end at 75,449.05, while the NSE Nifty 50 climbed 73.30 points (0.32%) to settle at 22,907.60.
Nifty Bank opened strong with a gap-up and maintained its momentum throughout the session, closing at 49,702.60, up 388.10 points (0.79%). The steady uptrend reflects growing optimism in the banking sector. Read this | Bajaj Finserv’s insurance bet fails to impress investors Broader market trends also pointed to shifting momentum, with key sectors seeing strong traction.
Realty stocks led the rally, jumping 2.80%, followed by PSU banks, which gained 1.98%, and the Midcap Select index, up 1.88%. While most sectors showed strength, IT and FMCG stocks ended in the red. Among individual gainers, Shriram Finance surged 3.99%, HDFC Life Insurance rose 3.75%, and Apollo Hospitals advanced 2.89%, signaling renewed investor confidence in select stocks.
On the downside, Tech Mahindra dropped 2.41%, TCS slipped 1.56%, and ITC declined 1.48%, reflecting some caution despite the broader positive sentiment. Overall, market sentiment appears to be improving, with buying interest picking up across key sectors. However, with some weakness persisting in IT and FMCG, the near-term outlook remains mixed.
As mentioned in an earlier report at the 22,500 level, Nifty was expected to target 23,000—a milestone that is now within reach. On the options front, the maximum open interest (OI) on the call side, which was previously at 23,000, has shifted to the 23,100–23,300 range. This suggests that the market could test 23,100 today,
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