The Nifty gained 3.23% over the ten sessions from October 5 to 16, 2026. That average hides a wide spread. Our Nifty sector scorecard for October 2026 compares NSE closing values on October 1 and October 16 for the main sector indices, and picks out the stocks that did the moving.
Educational content only. Not investment advice. All index and stock figures are our calculations from NSE’s daily index files and bhavcopies for October 1 to 16, 2026. Reasons behind moves are from the reports linked below.
The Nifty sector scorecard for October 2026
| Index | Oct 1 close | Oct 16 close | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nifty IT | 28,304.70 | 31,924.10 | +12.79% |
| Nifty Media | 1,546.30 | 1,648.25 | +6.59% |
| Nifty Private Bank | 26,697.25 | 27,700.55 | +3.76% |
| Nifty Financial Services | 24,556.10 | 25,387.10 | +3.38% |
| Nifty Bank | 54,450.75 | 55,844.00 | +2.56% |
| Nifty PSU Bank | 7,937.80 | 8,094.95 | +1.98% |
| Nifty FMCG | 43,789.85 | 44,616.15 | +1.89% |
| Nifty Auto | 25,384.95 | 25,768.50 | +1.51% |
| Nifty Consumer Durables | 35,927.80 | 36,247.95 | +0.89% |
| Nifty Oil & Gas | 10,474.85 | 10,556.75 | +0.78% |
| Nifty Energy | 36,388.15 | 36,190.85 | -0.54% |
| Nifty Realty | 835.00 | 825.95 | -1.08% |
| Nifty Pharma | 26,311.55 | 25,781.65 | -2.01% |
| Nifty Healthcare | 16,095.55 | 15,683.55 | -2.56% |
| Nifty Metal | 12,460.70 | 12,133.20 | -2.63% |
Ten up, five down. IT’s gain was nearly double that of the next-best index, Media.
The leaders
IT was all about results, which we cover in detail in our Nifty IT rally explainer. TCS rose 18.80% over the period and Tech Mahindra 16.76%.
Media is a small index, so a few stocks can move it a lot. Most of its gain came in one session: it jumped 4.60% on October 12. Among media names, PVR INOX rose from ₹1,215.30 to ₹1,401.00 over the ten sessions, up 15.28%, and Sun TV Network gained 6.35%.
Private banks did better than PSU banks. ICICI Bank rose 6.59%, Kotak Mahindra Bank 6.94% and Axis Bank 5.99%, while HDFC Bank managed 1.06% and SBI 0.89%.
The laggards
Metals took the worst hit, with most of the damage on October 7 and 8. PTI reported the BSE Metal index fell 3.34% on October 8 alone. Over the ten sessions, Adani Enterprises fell 4.43%, Hindalco 3.59%, Vedanta 2.36%, Tata Steel 1.40% and JSW Steel 1.35%.
Healthcare and pharma were dragged by hospitals as much as drug makers. Max Healthcare dropped 10.09%, the worst performer in the Nifty 50, and Apollo Hospitals fell 2.99%. Sun Pharma lost 2.34% and Cipla 1.41%, though Dr Reddy’s rose 2.22%. On October 14, BusinessLine linked pharma weakness to uncertainty over medicine pricing after the Supreme Court questioned trade-margin controls.
Max Healthcare lost a tenth of its value in ten sessions, more than any other Nifty stock, while the Nifty itself rose over 3%.
Realty slipped 1.08% in a fortnight when the RBI raised its policy rate, which our RBI October 2026 policy explainer covers. DLF still rose 2.52%, so the weakness was uneven.
In between
FMCG ended up 1.89%, but the stocks inside it split. Hindustan Unilever rose 3.15% and ITC 2.97%, while Nestle India, which had its Q2 results lined up for October 15 according to BusinessLine, fell 3.23%. In autos, Eicher Motors gained 5.27% and Bajaj Auto 3.58%, while Maruti Suzuki rose just 0.90%.
We think the pattern is fairly clear. Money went to sectors with results to show (IT, private banks) and away from sectors exposed to commodity prices, rates or regulation (metals, realty, pharma). For the full fortnight story, see our Dalal Street 10-session wrap.
Sources: NSE index closing files for October 1 and October 16, 2026; NSE equity bhavcopies for October 5 to 16, 2026; PTI via ThePrint; BusinessLine.
Disclaimer: This article is for information and education only and is not investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Please do your own research or consult a SEBI-registered adviser before investing.
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