Nifty 50, Sensex Ended Flat; The Centre Hiked Excise Duties On Tobacco Products & More
- Share.Market
- 10 min read
- 01 Jan 2026
Here’s a quick wrap-up where we break down the performance of key indices, top corporate movers, and the major economic headlines of the day.
Nifty 50 and Sensex ended flat after a volatile session on the first trading session of 2026. On the sectoral front, Nifty Auto emerged as the leader, while Nifty FMCG ended as the top loser.
Key Indices – Share Market
Today’s Top News from the Indian Share Market
ASHOKLEYAshok Leyland reported strong December 2025 sales of 21,533 vehicles, up 27% YoY, driven by 29% growth in M&HCVs. Cumulative sales rose 11% to 1,50,979 units, signaling robust domestic and export demand.
APLAPOLLOAPL Apollo Tubes achieved record Q3FY26 sales volume of 916,976 tonnes, up from 855,037 in Q2FY26 and 828,200 in Q3FY25. 9MFY26 volumes hit 2,566,363 tonnes, a 11% YoY rise, boosting structural steel leadership.
SMLMAHSML Mahindra reported December sales of 1,044 vehicles, surging 67% YoY, with cargo up 76% and passenger up 60%. April-December totals grew 18% to 11,335 units, reflecting strong commercial vehicle momentum.
M&MMahindra & Mahindra sold 86,090 vehicles in December 2025, up 25% YoY including exports, with SUVs at 50,946 (up 23%) and commercial vehicles at 24,786 (up 34%). The results mark highest-ever volumes in key segments.
ITCThe Centre hiked excise duties on tobacco products and notified rules for chewing tobacco, jarda, and gutkha from February 2026, as per official notifications dated December 31.
Broader Market Performance Today
INDIA VIXTop Performing Sectors Today
Top Gainers
| Company | Today’s Chg | LTP |
|---|---|---|
 Nifty AutoNIFTY AUTO | +1.03%+290.95 | 28480.55 |
 Nifty RealtyNIFTY REALTY | +0.84%+7.35 | 885.30 |
 Nifty MetalNIFTY METAL | +0.79%+88.35 | 11256.00 |
*Prices shown may have delay up-to 15 minutes
Today’s Top Gainers and Losers
*Prices shown may have delay up-to 15 minutes
What’s Happening Beyond Markets?
- GST collections rose 6.1% to ₹1.75 lakh crore in December 2025, reflecting steady economic activity. For April-December 2025-26, gross collections climbed 8.6% to ₹16.5 lakh crore, as per official data.
- The Ministry of Finance imposed additional excise duty (over an above the existing 40% GST) on tobacco products in the range of ₹2,050 to ₹8,500 per 1,000 sticks on the type and length of the product. Effective February, the excise duty aims to boost revenue and health measures. This follows similar hikes on sin goods amid fiscal strategies.
- The Union Cabinet approved a 6-lane greenfield access-controlled Nashik-Solapur-Akkalkot highway corridor in Maharashtra on BOT (Toll) mode. Spanning 374 km at ₹19,142 crore, it will cut travel time by 45% and boost regional growth and jobs.
- Nifty 50 topped NSE performers with 10.5% return over the past year, while Nifty Next 50 gained just 2%, according to data released by NSE. This underscores the strength of large-cap stocks amid market dynamics.
- Commercial LPG cylinder prices rose by ₹111 per unit from January 1, while domestic rates stayed unchanged. The hike impacts businesses but spares households amid energy cost adjustments.
Back to Basics
Terms that put you one step ahead – every day
What is an ETF?
An Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) is a type of investment fund that you can buy and sell on the stock exchange just like a regular stock. It usually holds a basket of assets such as stocks, bonds, or commodities, often designed to track a market index like the Nifty 50. Because one ETF unit represents small slices of many securities, it helps you diversify your money with a single trade.
ETFs are low-cost and transparent, and their prices move throughout the trading day, which gives you flexibility to enter or exit whenever markets are open.
Before You Go…
Markets aren’t just charts and tickers; they’re daily tales of ambition and the quiet courage to stay invested.
We’ll be back to cut through the noise, so you can focus on investing intelligently.
