Markets gained momentum through the first half of Friday's session, with the Nifty 50 climbing to 23,808.30, up 153.60 points or 0.65 per cent, and the Sensex advancing to 75,718.85, a gain of 535.49 points or 0.71 per cent, as of 1.23 pm. Both indices, which had opened flat, steadily pushed higher through the session toward Thursday's intraday highs.Breadth on the BSE was decisively positive. Of 4,199 stocks traded, 2,338 advanced against 1,665 declines, with 196 unchanged. The Nifty 50's Advance-Decline Ratio stood at a strong 39:11. A total of 110 stocks hit 52-week highs during the session against only 28 at 52-week lows, while 170 stocks were locked in upper circuits compared to 119 in lower circuits.Trent led the Nifty 50 gainers, surging 2.94 per cent to ₹4,292.90 on volumes of over 6.69 lakh shares. Shriram Finance followed with a 2.85 per cent rise to ₹940.80, while Wipro climbed 2.68 per cent to ₹205.10 on exceptionally heavy volume of over 2.37 crore shares worth ₹48,106 crore. Axis Bank gained 2.59 per cent to ₹1,285.80, and Asian Paints advanced 2.38 per cent to ₹2,660.60Max Healthcare remained under sustained selling pressure for the second consecutive session, falling 4.70 per cent to ₹1,039.80 on volumes of over 80.98 lakh shares worth ₹83,594 crore — making it the most actively traded loser by value. Sun Pharmaceutical declined 1.59 per cent to ₹1,861.30, while Power Grid Corporation shed 1.50 per cent to ₹295.05. ONGC fell 1.44 per cent to ₹291.60, and ITC dropped 1.33 per cent to ₹303.95 on heavy volumes of over 1.93 crore shares.SBI Securities flagged 23,850–23,870 as the immediate resistance zone for the Nifty, with the index now approaching that band. Support is placed in the 23,670–23,650 range. A slip below 23,650 could expose the index to the next support band of 23,470–23,340, while a breakout above 23,870 could extend the rally toward 23,960–24,050. On the Sensex, support is at 75,300 and resistance at 76,100.Options data pointed to caution near higher levels. Meaningful call writing was seen at the 23,800 and 24,000 strikes, suggesting that options writers are positioning for resistance at these levels. On the put side, the 23,700 strike carried substantial open interest, followed by 23,600, indicating near-term downside protection being built around current levels.The session's move higher followed a morning that began with a flat open, building on early cues from Gift Nifty, which had indicated a 153-point positive start. The broader recovery was also supported by easing crude oil prices, with Brent futures around $104 and the rupee firming to 96.20. Domestic Institutional Investors had provided a floor on Thursday, buying equities worth ₹2,492 crore against Foreign Institutional Investor outflows of ₹1,891 crore, and that DII support appeared to be sustaining sentiment into the afternoon session.Published on May 22, 2026