So, you're looking at the screens today, January 17, 2026, and things feel... weirdly quiet? Well, they should. It’s Saturday.
Dalal Street is technically "closed" for regular business, but if you’re a trader, your coffee is probably still warm because the NSE and BSE are actually running a mock trading session right now. Honestly, it’s basically a fire drill for the exchanges to make sure their systems don't blow up when the real madness starts again on Monday.
But let's talk about what really happened yesterday because that’s what's actually setting the stage for your portfolio next week. The stock market in India today is basking in a bit of a "Friday Glow" after the Sensex and Nifty finally stopped their two-day losing streak. The Sensex climbed back up to end at 83,570.35, and the Nifty 50 managed to stay north of that 25,650 line.
It wasn't a massive explosion, but after the rough start 2026 has had—literally the worst start to a year since 2016—investors are taking whatever wins they can get.
The IT Elephant in the Room
If you own tech stocks, you’re probably smiling. If you don't, you might be kicking yourself.
Infosys basically carried the entire market on its back yesterday. They dropped their Q3 results, and they were... actually good? Like, "raised their revenue guidance to 3–3.5%" good. That single announcement sent their stock up nearly 6%, and it dragged the rest of the IT pack along for the ride. Tech Mahindra and Wipro weren't far behind.
Why does this matter for the stock market in India today? Because for the last few months, everyone has been terrified that AI was going to eat Indian IT services for breakfast. Seeing these giants report solid numbers and higher revenue guidance suggests that the "death of Indian IT" narrative was a bit premature. It’s more of a pivot than a funeral.
Why 2026 Feels Like a Rollercoaster
You've probably noticed that the market has been acting like a nervous cat lately. One day we're up 400 points, the next day we're bleeding.
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A lot of this is because of the "Budget Fever." We just found out that the exchanges are going to hold a special live trading session on Sunday, February 1st. That's when Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Union Budget 2026.
Usually, the market hates weekends, but for the Budget, they make an exception. Everyone is trying to guess what’s coming. Will there be a hike in the STT (Securities Transaction Tax)? Is the government going to double down on infrastructure? The uncertainty is what’s causing the "jagged" movement in the charts.
Also, we can't ignore the FIIs (Foreign Institutional Investors). They’ve been selling Indian stocks like they’re going out of style. In the first few weeks of 2026 alone, they’ve dumped billions. The only thing keeping the floor from falling out is the Indian retail investor—basically people like you—buying through SIPs and DIIs (Domestic Institutional Investors) picking up the slack.
The Stocks Nobody Wants to Talk About
While the IT sector was popping champagne, some of the old-school favorites were getting hammered.
- Eternal Ltd and Asian Paints took a nasty hit yesterday.
- Sun Pharma and Maruti Suzuki also ended in the red.
- Elecon Engineering has basically been in a freefall, losing about 22% of its value in just five days.
It’s a classic "sector rotation." Money is moving out of overvalued manufacturing and pharma and flowing back into IT and Banking. HDFC Bank and State Bank of India (SBI) are showing some signs of life again, mostly because their Q3 asset quality is looking way better than the doomsdayers predicted.
What You Should Actually Do Now
Look, it’s easy to get lost in the "Nifty 25,700" or "Sensex 83,500" noise. But here is the reality: the stock market in India today is in a "wait and watch" mode.
The World Economic Forum is happening in Davos next week, and India has one of the biggest contingents there. We’re hearing rumors about trade deals with the US and the EU being "very near." If one of those actually gets signed by January 26th (Republic Day), you might see a massive sentiment boost that has nothing to do with earnings and everything to do with geopolitics.
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Your Action Plan for Next Week:
- Check your IT exposure: If you're heavy on Tech, don't get too greedy. The rally was sharp, and some profit-booking is almost guaranteed on Monday morning.
- Watch the 25,800 level: On the Nifty, this is the "ceiling." Every time we get close, sellers come out of the woodwork. If we break and stay above 25,850, it’s a green signal for a bigger rally.
- Clean up the "Zombies": If you’re holding small-cap stocks that have been falling for five days straight while the market was up (like those in the "concurrent losers" list), it might be time to admit the thesis is broken.
- Prepare for February 1st: Since it's a Sunday trading day, liquidity might be weird. If you aren't a professional trader, maybe just watch the speech and keep your hands off the "buy" button until the dust settles.
The market isn't "broken," it's just recalibrating. We’ve had a crazy run over the last few years, and 2026 is the year where the "easy money" stops and the "smart money" starts working. Stay patient.