Stock market in October 2026: Nifty 50 ends 1.91% higher as IT stocks surge; smallcaps lag
The Nifty 50 rose 1.91% to 23,053.10 in October 2026 as Nifty IT jumped 17.69%, but breadth was weak: 2,134 NSE stocks fell against 481 that rose, and the Smallcap 100 lost 4.06%.
Key points
- The Nifty 50 ended October 2026 at 23,053.10, up 432.65 points or 1.91% over 20 sessions.
- The NIFTY Smallcap 100 fell 4.06% and the Midcap 100 3.42%, while 2,134 NSE stocks declined against 481 that advanced.
- Nifty IT led sectors with a 17.69% gain and L&T Technology Services rose 32.57%, while Swiggy fell 29.39%.
The Nifty 50 ended October 2026 at 23,053.10, up 432.65 points or 1.91% from its 30 September close, over 20 sessions. Breadth told a different story: 481 NSE stocks rose over the month against 2,134 that fell, and within the Nifty 500 only 121 advanced while 376 declined.
Index Scorecard
| Index | Close | Change | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nifty 50 | 23,053.10 | +432.65 | +1.91% |
| Nifty Next 50 | 67,709.10 | -2,037.85 | -2.92% |
| Nifty 500 | 21,895.90 | -176.20 | -0.80% |
| Nifty Bank | 54,686.95 | +53.90 | +0.10% |
| NIFTY Midcap 100 | 57,301.25 | -2,030.80 | -3.42% |
| NIFTY Smallcap 100 | 18,463.60 | -782.10 | -4.06% |
| India VIX | 15.30 | +1.81 | +13.42% |
The month split the market by size. The Nifty 50 gained 1.91% while the NIFTY Midcap 100 lost 3.42% and the NIFTY Smallcap 100 lost 4.06%. Even the Nifty Next 50 fell 2.92%, so the broader Nifty 500 still closed 0.80% lower. India VIX, the market's volatility gauge, rose 13.42% to 15.30.
Gainers and Losers
Top ten gainers among liquid NSE stocks in October 2026:
| Stock | Industry | Close (Rs) | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| L&T Technology Services | Information Technology | 4,280.20 | +32.57% |
| Zensar Technologies | Information Technology | 535.50 | +26.87% |
| International Gemological Institute | Services | 397.75 | +25.91% |
| Wipro | Information Technology | 198.31 | +25.12% |
| Ather Energy | Automobile and Auto Components | 1,756.00 | +23.23% |
| Tata Elxsi | Information Technology | 3,790.00 | +22.70% |
| Acutaas Chemicals | Healthcare | 4,003.60 | +22.08% |
| Tata Consultancy Services | Information Technology | 2,502.60 | +22.04% |
| Laurus Labs | Healthcare | 2,405.50 | +21.49% |
| PVR INOX | Media Entertainment & Publication | 1,495.10 | +20.31% |
Top ten losers:
| Stock | Industry | Close (Rs) | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swiggy | Consumer Services | 176.60 | -29.39% |
| Yes Bank | Financial Services | 15.15 | -27.68% |
| Emmvee Photovoltaic Power | Capital Goods | 229.00 | -27.51% |
| Sumitomo Chemical India | Chemicals | 315.10 | -27.27% |
| Aegis Vopak Terminals | Oil Gas & Consumable Fuels | 220.95 | -25.56% |
| Anant Raj | Realty | 447.30 | -25.31% |
| Himadri Speciality Chemical | Chemicals | 509.20 | -24.87% |
| Cartrade Tech | Consumer Services | 2,189.80 | -24.48% |
| KSB | Capital Goods | 651.10 | -23.95% |
| Five-Star Business Finance | Financial Services | 396.85 | -23.22% |
Five of the ten gainers were information technology stocks, yet several remain well short of their peaks: Tata Elxsi is still 35.25% below its 52-week closing high, Zensar 32.86% below and Wipro 27.27% below even after gains of 22.70%, 26.87% and 25.12%. Ather Energy, Acutaas Chemicals, Laurus Labs and PVR INOX finished the month at their 52-week closing highs. On the other side, Swiggy closed 57.60% below its 52-week high and just 0.34% above its low, while Yes Bank, Sumitomo Chemical India and KSB ended at their 52-week closing lows. The full list is on Oquilia's October 2026 market page and the top gainers this month table.
Sectors and Breadth
Nifty IT led every NSE sectoral and thematic index with a gain of 17.69%. The best five were:
- Nifty IT: +17.69%
- Nifty MidSmall IT & Telecom: +7.50%
- Nifty India Digital: +7.17%
- Nifty Services Sector: +6.37%
- Nifty India Corporate Group Index - Tata Group: +5.83%
Among the traditional sectors, Nifty Media rose 3.03%, Nifty PSU Bank 2.73% and Nifty Pharma 2.60%. The weakest five were:
- Nifty Small Finance Banks & Microfinance Institutions: -17.70%
- Nifty Sugar & Ethanol: -10.28%
- Nifty NBFC: -8.74%
- Nifty Construction: -7.94%
- Nifty Metal: -7.65%
Breadth was firmly negative. Across all NSE main-board stocks, 481 advanced, 2,134 declined and 1 was unchanged over the month; in the Nifty 500, 121 advanced and 376 declined. During October, 196 stocks closed at a 52-week closing high, 40 of them in the Nifty 500, against 612 at a 52-week closing low, 155 of them in the Nifty 500. For the year so far, see top gainers of 2026.
Volumes and Deals
The three largest volume shockers, measured as average daily volume in October against each stock's own 20 sessions before:
- Gallantt Ispat: 44,04,706 shares a session against 96,765, a multiple of 45.5, with the price up 3.82%.
- Jai Corp: 93,68,258 shares against 2,71,173, a multiple of 34.5, with the price down 6.03%.
- India Cements: 52,44,366 shares against 1,79,771, a multiple of 29.2, with the price up 3.40%.
The sharpest delivery spikes, where the share of traded shares taken into delivery jumped from its norm:
- Transport Corporation of India: 53.5% delivered against 10.5%, price up 0.62%.
- Innovision: 55.5% against 13.5%, price down 8.23%.
- Awfis Space Solutions: 54.5% against 15.5%, price down 4.19%.
NSE's deal files read for the month, from 27 October, show at least 286 bulk deals and 14 block deals. The largest bulk deal was a sale of 56,00,00,000 shares of Sagility by SAGILITY B.V. at Rs 42.76 on 30 October, worth Rs 2,394.56 crore. The largest block deal, also on 30 October, was a sale of 5,43,47,662 Swiggy shares by TENCENT CLOUD EUROPE B.V. at Rs 180.65, worth Rs 981.79 crore; on the buy side of Swiggy block deals that day, SOCIETE GENERALE took 2,37,40,000 shares worth Rs 428.86 crore and MORGAN STANLEY ASIA SINGAPORE PTE 1,31,90,000 shares worth Rs 238.28 crore. In Sagility bulk deals the same day, BNP PARIBAS FINANCIAL MARKETS bought shares worth Rs 240.19 crore and SOCIETE GENERALE shares worth Rs 203.09 crore, at Rs 42.75.
FAQ
How did the stock market do in October 2026?
The Nifty 50 rose 1.91%, or 432.65 points, to 23,053.10 over 20 sessions. The broader market fell: the NIFTY Midcap 100 lost 3.42%, the NIFTY Smallcap 100 lost 4.06% and 2,134 NSE stocks declined against 481 that advanced.
What was the best performing stock in October 2026?
Among liquid NSE stocks, L&T Technology Services gained the most, up 32.57% to Rs 4,280.20. The worst was Swiggy, down 29.39% to Rs 176.60.
Which sector performed best in October 2026?
Nifty IT was the best sectoral index, up 17.69%. Nifty Small Finance Banks & Microfinance Institutions was the weakest, down 17.70%.
Where do these figures come from?
All figures come from NSE's end-of-day files: the equity bhavcopy, index closing values, the corporate-action list and the bulk and block deal files, for the 20 sessions to 30 October 2026, measured against the 30 September close.
Figures are from NSE's end-of-day files for October 2026, with moves adjusted for splits and bonuses. This report is for information only and is not investment advice.
Sources & Citations
- NSE equity bhavcopy (prices, volume, delivery) — National Stock Exchange of India
- NSE index closing values — National Stock Exchange of India