Indian stock market ended the week upbeat today on Friday, October 17, 2025, as benchmark indices closed near their record highs, led by good buying in FMCG, auto, and bank stocks. Midcap and smallcap segments were behind in the run, however, due to profit-booking and selective weakness in several sectors.
Benchmark Indices Close Higher
The BSE Sensex rose 484.53 points or 0.58% to close at 83,952.19 on Friday, while the NSE Nifty 50 jumped 124.55 points or 0.49% to close at a new 52-week high of 25,709.85. Both the indices gained smartly from early weakness driven by cautious overseas leads. Nifty Bank also touched an all-time high of 57,830.20 intraday, extending its outperformance helped by good quarterly earnings of financial shares.
Asian Paints, Bharti Airtel, M&M, ITC, and HUL were the pace-setters in the rally among frontline stocks, with gains ranging from 2 to 4 percent, with IT majors such as Infosys, HCL Technologies, and Tech Mahindra being among the top laggards with respect to mild revenue growth guidance.
Sectoral Performance
Sector-wise performance was varied with FMCG being the biggest gainer at 1.37%, followed by auto and banking stocks that rose up to 1% each. The rally in consumption sectors reflects hopes regarding festive demand patterns. IT and media stocks declined by almost 1.5–1.6% in the face of poor global IT spending. The transport sector too held its ground, while energy and utilities saw soft falls due to muted global commodity cues.
Vinod Nair, Geojit Financial Services Head of Research, stated the market reflected “continued strength led by domestic consumption and supportive bank earnings,” further stating that consolidation at higher levels is still likely considering increasing global uncertainties. Ponmudi R., Enrich Money CEO, stated that “strong institutional participation and fresh faith in the Indian growth story are leading the market nearer to lifetime highs.”
Midcap and Smallcap Performance
Wider market indices lagged behind, with Nifty Midcap 100 and Smallcap 100 declining 0.57% and 0.05% respectively, as investors took profits following the recent rises. The BSE Midcap index too snapped its two-day winning run, pulled down by shares such as Yes Bank, PB Fintech, and Tata Communications. Experts indicated that even though large caps were still pulling in foreign inflows, mid- and small-cap valuations have become rich following a strong multi-week rally.
Market Outlook
Experts see the Nifty drawing support around 25,500 and resisting near the 25,900–26,200 levels in the upcoming week. Market sentiment could stay upbeat in the run-up to the Diwali festival season, with domestic liquidity and stable earnings set to act as a cushion against short-run global volatility.
