22 May 2026: Sensex, Nifty 50 Rise In Mid-Session Trade As Bank Stocks Gain

The benchmark equity indices traded higher in mid-session on Thursday. At 12:30 PM, the BSE Sensex was up 0.56%. During the same time, the Nifty 50 was up 0.50%.

Buying in banking and financial shares supported the markets even as some defensive sectors remained under pressure. The Nifty Bank and the Nifty Financial Services indices were among the top gainers during the session. The Nifty Private Bank index also traded firmly in positive territory.

Broader Markets Trade Higher

The broader markets, including the Nifty Midcap 100 and Nifty Smallcap 100, also remained in the green, though gains were limited compared with the benchmark indices.

On the sectoral front, pharma and media shares witnessed selling pressure during the session. The Nifty Pharma index emerged as one of the worst-performing sectoral indices. The Nifty Media and the Nifty Healthcare indices also traded lower.

Traders continued to track developments linked to the US-Iran diplomatic talks. Market participants also monitored overseas trends after mixed cues from global equities.

Stock-Specific Action

• Shares of Le Travenues Technology (Ixigo) jumped 6% intraday after the company announced Q4 FY26 results.

• LIC shares jumped over 4% in early trade on the heels of strong Q4 FY26 results.

• LG Electronics and Aurobindo Pharma shares were down 3.5% and 5% in early trade following the declaration of Q4 FY26 results.

• Engineers India Ltd stock price fell by almost 10% in early trade after the company reported weak Q4 FY26 results.

Also, the following stocks are likely to remain in focus in the upcoming week following their dividend announcement to their shareholders (see table):

Focus Likely On Banking And Financial Stocks

Traders are likely to remain focused on banking and financial stocks through the second half of the session, as continued strength in these sectors may help the benchmarks hold gains. However, volatility could increase later in the day amid global uncertainty surrounding the US-Iran talks, crude oil price movements, and profit-booking in defensive sectors like pharma and healthcare.

Also Read - LIC Q4 FY26 Results: Net Profit Jumps 23% To ₹23,467 Crore

Sustained buying in heavyweight financial counters will be key for the Sensex and Nifty to extend their upward momentum toward the close.

Sources:

Business Standard

CNBC TV18