Share Market Today: Sensex, Nifty Recover to End Flat; Rupee Hits Record Low, Crude Crosses $110

May 18, 2026, Indian Stock Market Today | The Indian equity benchmarks, BSE Sensex and Nifty 50, staged a late-session recovery from their intraday lows to finish nearly unchanged on Monday, May 18, 2026.

While select heavyweights and a resilient IT sector provided cushion, escalating Middle East drone strikes and a crashing currency kept investors on edge.

At the Closing Bell:

• BSE Sensex: Climbed 77.05 points to close at 75,315
• Nifty 50: Rose 6.45 points to settle at 23,650
• Nifty Bank: Fell 173.35 points to finish at 53,537

Broader Markets Underperform

The pain was felt more acutely in the mid and small-cap space. Market breadth remained firmly in favour of declines, with the NSE Advance-Decline ratio at 1:3.

• Nifty Midcap 100: Slipped 0.15%
• Nifty Smallcap 100: Fell 1.2%

What Drove the Markets Today?

1.      Gulf Drone Strikes & Plant Fire

Fresh geopolitical uncertainty gripped the market following a drone strike that caused a fire at a nuclear power plant in the UAE.

Additionally, Saudi Arabia reported intercepting three drones, prompting US President Donald Trump to warn Iran to act "fast" on a peace deal.

2.      Brent Crude Crosses $110

Triggered by the escalation in the Gulf, the global benchmark Brent Crude rose over 1% to cross $110 per barrel.

Higher crude oil prices are a concern for the Indian economy as the country imports a large portion of its crude requirements. Rising oil prices could increase inflationary pressures and widen the trade deficit, impacting market sentiment.

3.      Rupee plummets to 96.39/$

The Indian Rupee (INR) hit a fresh, all-time historic low of 96.39/$ before provisionally settling at 96.35/$.

Currently Asia's worst-performing currency in 2026, the Rupee’s freefall is sparking fears of further FII outflows and aggressive monetary tightening by the RBI.

4.      IT Sector Reversal

Bucking the broader caution, the Nifty IT index closed higher for the second straight session, with all 10 of its constituents finishing in the green.

The sector's resilience comes at a vital time as global tech trends brace for Nvidia's highly anticipated earnings later this week.

Market Snapshot: Indices at a Glance

Key Nifty Indices

Sectoral Performance

Nifty Gainers & Losers

Technical Analysis: Nifty & Bank Nifty Levels

NIFTY 50: Opened 161.30 points lower at 23,482.20, reached a high of 23,695.65 and closed at 23,649.95.

The index formed a bullish candle with a lower shadow and closed the opening bearish gap, indicating a positive trend and a healthy recovery from the day's low.

• Immediate Support: 23,550
• Immediate Resistance: 23,700

BANK NIFTY: Opened 428.20 points lower at 53,282.15, reached a high of 53,667.55 and closed at 53,537.

The index formed a bullish candle with a small upper shadow and a long lower shadow, indicating a strong recovery from the day's low.

• Immediate Support: 53,300
• Immediate Resistance: 53,700

Top Trending Stocks Today

• Gland Pharma: Stock surged over 15% after Q4 net profit jumped 97% YoY to ₹366.6 crore, while revenue rose 22% YoY to ₹1,742.7 crore.
• Apollo Micro Systems: Stock rose more than 5% after Q4 net profit more than doubled to ₹38 crore from ₹14 crore, supported by an 81% YoY rise in revenue to ₹293.2 crore.
• Hindustan Copper: Stock climbed nearly 2% after Q4 net profit surged 137% YoY to ₹444.27 crore, while revenue increased 58% YoY to ₹1,156 crore.

Also Read: Why Tata Steel Fell 3% Despite 147% Jump in PAT

World Markets, Crude & Gold Prices

• Global Equities: Asian and European markets mostly declined on Monday as inflation concerns, higher crude oil prices and geopolitical tensions weighed on risk sentiment.
• Crude Oil: Oil prices rose over 1%, with Brent crude crossing $110.50 per barrel and U.S. WTI moving above $106 per barrel.
• Gold Prices: The yellow metal edged higher after hitting a more than one-and-a-half-month low, but gains were capped by inflation fears, elevated rate expectations and rising bond yields.

Also Read: Why India Hiked Gold Import Duty to 15%

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