📊 Market Summary
The NIFTY index closed higher by 0.29% at 24,366.70 on 31 July 2026, reflecting a broadly bullish sentiment among the ~200 actively traded F&O stocks. The Bank NIFTY also edged up 0.19% to 57,214.10. Among F&O stocks, 109 advanced while 65 declined, with an average gain of 0.46%. The market opened with a mix of gap ups and trading within the previous day's price range, signaling cautious optimism.
🏆 Top Gainers & Losers
| Top Gainers | % Change | Sector |
|---|---|---|
| BAJFINANCE | +7.84% | Banking & Finance |
| HYUNDAI | +6.99% | Automobile |
| BAJAJFINSV | +6.35% | Banking & Finance |
| TORNTPHARM | +5.11% | Pharmaceuticals |
| INOXWIND | +4.37% | Infrastructure |
| Top Losers | % Change | Sector |
|---|---|---|
| APLAPOLLO | -4.49% | Infrastructure |
| DIXON | -3.98% | Diversified |
| MANKIND | -3.81% | Pharmaceuticals |
| LODHA | -3.50% | Realty |
| LICHSGFIN | -3.34% | Banking & Finance |
🏭 Sector Scorecard
| Sector | Average % Change | Number of Stocks |
|---|---|---|
| Infrastructure | +1.57% | 26 |
| Automobile | +1.54% | 15 |
| Banking & Finance | +1.04% | 54 |
| Energy & Oil | +0.77% | 17 |
| Telecom | +0.75% | 3 |
| Pharmaceuticals | +0.29% | 16 |
| Metals & Mining | +0.15% | 10 |
| Chemicals | +0.04% | 5 |
| Realty | -0.25% | 6 |
| Cement | -0.39% | 5 |
| Diversified | -0.42% | 35 |
| Information Technology | -0.74% | 12 |
| FMCG | -1.07% | 14 |
💰 FII/DII Activity
On 31 July 2026, the activity of Foreign Institutional Investors (FII) and Domestic Institutional Investors (DII) showed some interesting trends that retail traders should keep an eye on.
FIIs maintained a bullish sentiment with a net long position in futures of 471,350 contracts. This means FIIs are generally optimistic about the market's near-term direction, which can be a positive sign for retail traders looking for upward momentum.
On the other hand, DIIs took a more cautious or bearish stance, holding a significant net short futures position of -3,894,501 contracts. This large short position suggests DIIs might be hedging or expecting some downward pressure in the market.
Here's a quick summary of the futures net positions for both FIIs and DIIs:
| Participant | Futures Long | Futures Short | Futures Net Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| FII | 3,528,881 | 3,057,531 | 471,350 |
| DII | 340,563 | 4,235,064 | -3,894,501 |
For retail traders, this mixed picture means it’s important to watch how these large players adjust their positions. FIIs’ bullish stance could support market gains, but the heavy short positions from DIIs might signal caution. Keeping an eye on upcoming market moves and news will help you navigate these contrasting signals.
📰 News That Moved Markets
- Indian IT Stocks Rally: Global funds shifted away from AI stocks, boosting Indian IT shares, contributing to sector gains.
- Strides Pharma Science Q1 PAT: Reported a 56.7% rise to ₹165.5 crore, supporting pharmaceutical sector sentiment.
- Multibagger Apollo Micro Systems: Jumped 3% after completing an Indian Navy project, highlighting defense sector interest.
- Asia Stocks Climb: KOSPI rebound and BOJ rate hold lifted regional markets, adding to positive sentiment.
- Bearish Note: Indian suppliers of cables and cooling products face AI-related challenges, slightly weighing on sentiment.
📈 Volume & Smart Money Signals
Volume surged above 1.5 times average in 81 stocks, indicating strong participation. BajFinance led with a 10.7x volume spike alongside a strong upward move and aggressive buying at lows. Several infrastructure stocks like KEI and Ashok Leyland also showed elevated volumes with buying interest. High delivery percentages in stocks such as SBILIFE (75.0%), MFSL (74.6%), and NYKAA (70.9%) suggest strong conviction among long-term investors.
🔮 Under the Hood: Market Structure
Today’s market showed a Normal Var Up day type for the NIFTY, indicating a range expansion with a slight upward bias. The opening was mixed, with 42 stocks gapping up and 93 opening within the previous day's fair value zone (the price range where most trading occurred). There were 44 instances of a strong directional move from the opening bell upwards, compared to 20 downwards, supporting the bullish tone.
The Point of Control (the most-traded price level) remained steady near 24,358.20, while the Value Area High (the upper boundary of the fair value zone) shifted slightly higher to 24,398.20. Aggressive buying at the day’s lows (buying tails) were seen in 88 stocks, reinforcing support levels, while selling tails appeared in 41 stocks. Rapid price moves without much trading activity (single prints) were more frequent on the upside (13) than downside (6), suggesting strong buying interest.
⚡ F&O Highlights
No stocks were placed on the F&O ban list today, indicating healthy market conditions without extreme volatility in any single stock.
📅 Upcoming Events
The next weekly F&O expiry is scheduled for 4 August 2026, with the monthly expiry on 25 August 2026. No major corporate results or macroeconomic events are expected in the coming days.
🎯 Stocks to Watch Tomorrow
- BAJFINANCE: With a 7.8% gain and 10.7x volume surge today, watch for continuation or profit booking.
- HYUNDAI: Strong 7.0% rally on high volume; monitor for momentum in the automobile sector.
- TORNTPHARM: Pharmaceutical sector pick with 5.1% gain and buying interest.
- APLAPOLLO: After a 4.5% drop, watch for potential support or further weakness in infrastructure.
- SBILIFE: High delivery percentage (75.0%) signals strong institutional interest.
📐 Key Levels for Tomorrow
| Index | Support | Resistance | Fair Value Zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| NIFTY | 24,358.20 (Value Area Low) | 24,398.20 (Value Area High) | 24,358.20 to 24,398.20 |
| BANKNIFTY | 57,135.70 (Value Area Low) | 57,335.70 (Value Area High) | 57,135.70 to 57,335.70 |