Sensex Surges Over 700 Points on October 20: Indian Stock Market Hits Fresh 52-Week Highs

The Indian equity market witnessed robust buying momentum in intraday trade on Monday, October 20, buoyed by strong global cues and investor optimism. Benchmark indices, the Sensex and Nifty 50, rallied for the 4th straight session, scaling new 52-week highs.

The Sensex soared more than 700 points, or close to 1%, hitting a new 52-week peak of 84,656.56, while the Nifty 50 advanced by nearly 1% to touch an all-time high of 25,926.20. Broader markets also participated in the rally, with the BSE Midcap and Smallcap indices rising by up to 0.5%.

By the afternoon session, the Sensex was up 585.35 points (0.70%) at 84,537.54, and the Nifty gained 179.70 points (0.70%) to trade at 25,889.55. Market breadth remained positive with 1,845 stocks advancing, 1,695 declining, and 184 remaining unchanged on the BSE.

What's Driving the Market Rally?

The ongoing rally in Indian equities is attributed to a confluence of global and domestic factors. Here are five key reasons behind Monday’s sharp up move:

Strong Global Market Sentiment

Positive sentiment across global markets significantly boosted domestic investor confidence. Among Asian peers, Japan’s Nikkei rallied over 3%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained more than 2%, while Korea’s Kospi and China’s Shanghai Composite rose around 1% each. These upbeat trends helped set a bullish tone for Indian equities.

Reliance Industries' Surge

Shares of Reliance Industries surged nearly 3%, extending gains from Friday after posting Q2 results in line with market expectations. Being a heavyweight in both benchmark indices, the rally in Reliance provided a major lift to overall market performance.

Also Read: Nifty 50 Up at 25,830; Reliance, Jio Gains While ICICI Bank Weighs on Oct 20, 2025

Renewed FII Buying

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) have turned net buyers in the Indian cash market for the third consecutive session, reversing their previous selling trend. Their renewed interest, along with consistent buying by Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs), has injected fresh liquidity and boosted sentiment.

Rate Cut Optimism

Investor expectations of potential interest rate cuts by both the US Federal Reserve and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) have further lifted market morale.

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