Sensex & Nifty End Higher as IT and Banks Rally | Market Close 3 August 2026

Today at a glance

Today, 3 August 2026: Sensex closed at 78,639.03, up 544 points (0.70%), while Nifty 50 settled at 24,774.30, gaining 1.60%. Divi’s Laboratories was the top Nifty gainer at +6.57%; Apollo Hospitals the top loser at -1.53%. For SIP investors, broad-based rallies like this reinforce why staying invested through market cycles beats trying to time entries.

What happened in the markets today

On Monday, 3 August 2026, the Sensex today closed at 78,639.03, up 544.39 points or 0.70%, while the Nifty 50 settled at 24,774.30, gaining 390.70 points or 1.60%. Bank Nifty also rose, climbing 1.7% to 58,247 after RBI’s foreign exchange measures attracted $40.81 billion in capital inflows. US markets had closed higher on Friday — the Dow added 0.98% and Nasdaq jumped 2.03%. Crude oil, however, fell nearly 6% to $79.66 per barrel. The introduction of the Close Auction System contributed to the late-session spike across indices.

Why did Sensex rise today? Broad-based buying across IT, banking, and cement stocks drove the rally, with nearly all sectors closing in the green except media.

Movers: IT and cement gain, pharma and auto drag Nifty 50

Today’s Nifty 50 gainers were Divi’s Laboratories, Grasim, TCS, Infosys, and Shriram Finance.

Today’s Nifty 50 losers were Apollo Hospitals, Sun Pharma, Maruti Suzuki, ONGC, and Tech Mahindra.

Cement and IT stocks dominated the gainers list, while pharma and auto names faced selling pressure. Divi’s Laboratories share price today surged on strong Q1 results, while Apollo Hospitals share price today slipped as defensive pharma bets lagged the broader rally.

In the news

• Divi’s Laboratories — Q1 FY27 net profit jumped 65.5% year-on-year to ₹902 crore, beating Street estimates. Revenue rose 28% to ₹3,080 crore. [Source: ET]
• HCLTech — completed the acquisition of Guardian India Operations for $10.5 million, bringing nearly 2,000 employees into a dedicated strategic business unit.
• ITC — closed its ₹3,500-crore acquisition of Century Pulp and Paper, becoming India’s largest integrated paperboards and paper company with capacity crossing 1.5 million tonnes.
• UltraTech Cement — allotted ₹5,000 crore in unsecured NCDs at coupon rates of 7.22%-7.25% to fund ongoing capacity expansion.
• JSW Steel — merger of three wholly owned subsidiaries — Amba River Coke, Monnet Cement, and JSW Retail — became effective from 1 August, streamlining the group structure.
• Juniper Green Energy — IPO subscribed 1.89 times overall on the final day. Retail subscription stood at 0.33 times, while QIBs subscribed 5.88 times.
• Banking sector — Bank Nifty rallied 1.7% as RBI’s FCNR and forex measures drew $40.81 billion in inflows, supporting the rupee and boosting financial stocks.

Term of the day — XIRR

XIRR, or Extended Internal Rate of Return, calculates the annualised return on an investment when there are multiple cash flows at different points in time. Unlike CAGR, which assumes a single lump-sum investment held for a fixed period, XIRR accounts for every instalment and withdrawal separately. This makes it the most accurate measure for SIPs, where you invest a fixed amount every month at different NAVs. If you have ever wondered how your mutual fund SIP has actually performed, XIRR gives the real picture — not the scheme’s published return, which may not reflect your personal investment pattern. For SIP investors, XIRR matters because it captures the true cost and timing of every rupee you put in.

What it means for SIP investors

Days when nearly every sector closes green are a reminder that rallies often arrive without warning. If your SIP is already running, today’s broad-based gains work in your favour — your monthly instalments from earlier months are riding the upswing. Missing even a handful of the market’s best days can significantly dent long-term returns. If headlines like these make you wonder whether to increase your SIP amount, a structured step-up approach lets you raise contributions gradually without straining your budget. For a deeper look, see our guide on cost of delay in starting a SIP. If you are still deciding between fund categories, our beginner’s guide to mutual funds breaks down the options clearly.

Returns snapshot — 1-day and long-term

1-Day Returns:

Long-Term Returns (Past 20 Years):

Nasdaq led the long-term CAGR race at 13.29%, though its returns are in USD and not directly comparable to the Indian indices.