{"id":209752,"date":"2026-08-18T12:31:22","date_gmt":"2026-08-18T07:01:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/univest.in\/blogs-2\/nifty-50-18-august-2026-midday-update\/"},"modified":"2026-08-18T12:31:22","modified_gmt":"2026-08-18T07:01:22","slug":"nifty-50-18-august-2026-midday-update","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/univest.in\/blogs-2\/nifty-50-18-august-2026-midday-update\/","title":{"rendered":"Nifty 50 Today: Midday Breadth, Top Gainers and Losers"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_65 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/univest.in\/blogs-2\/nifty-50-18-august-2026-midday-update\/#Quick_market_takeaways\" title=\"Quick market takeaways\">Quick market takeaways<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/univest.in\/blogs-2\/nifty-50-18-august-2026-midday-update\/#Market_summary\" title=\"Market summary\">Market summary<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/univest.in\/blogs-2\/nifty-50-18-august-2026-midday-update\/#Why_did_the_market_move\" title=\"Why did the market move?\">Why did the market move?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/univest.in\/blogs-2\/nifty-50-18-august-2026-midday-update\/#Market_breadth_analysis\" title=\"Market breadth analysis\">Market breadth analysis<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/univest.in\/blogs-2\/nifty-50-18-august-2026-midday-update\/#Sector_snapshot\" title=\"Sector snapshot\">Sector snapshot<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/univest.in\/blogs-2\/nifty-50-18-august-2026-midday-update\/#Positive_multi-stock_groups\" title=\"Positive multi-stock groups\">Positive multi-stock groups<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/univest.in\/blogs-2\/nifty-50-18-august-2026-midday-update\/#Weak_multi-stock_groups\" title=\"Weak multi-stock groups\">Weak multi-stock groups<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/univest.in\/blogs-2\/nifty-50-18-august-2026-midday-update\/#Top_5_gainers\" title=\"Top 5 gainers\">Top 5 gainers<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/univest.in\/blogs-2\/nifty-50-18-august-2026-midday-update\/#Top_5_losers\" title=\"Top 5 losers\">Top 5 losers<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/univest.in\/blogs-2\/nifty-50-18-august-2026-midday-update\/#Stocks_to_watch_next_session\" title=\"Stocks to watch next session\">Stocks to watch next session<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/univest.in\/blogs-2\/nifty-50-18-august-2026-midday-update\/#Technical_market_view\" title=\"Technical market view\">Technical market view<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/univest.in\/blogs-2\/nifty-50-18-august-2026-midday-update\/#The_bull_case\" title=\"The bull case\">The bull case<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/univest.in\/blogs-2\/nifty-50-18-august-2026-midday-update\/#The_cautious_case\" title=\"The cautious case\">The cautious case<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/univest.in\/blogs-2\/nifty-50-18-august-2026-midday-update\/#Univest_Insights\" title=\"Univest Insights\">Univest Insights<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/univest.in\/blogs-2\/nifty-50-18-august-2026-midday-update\/#Frequently_asked_questions\" title=\"Frequently asked questions\">Frequently asked questions<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/univest.in\/blogs-2\/nifty-50-18-august-2026-midday-update\/#How_was_nifty_50_today_at_midday_on_18_August_2026\" title=\"How was nifty 50 today at midday on 18 August 2026?\">How was nifty 50 today at midday on 18 August 2026?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/univest.in\/blogs-2\/nifty-50-18-august-2026-midday-update\/#What_was_the_advance-decline_ratio\" title=\"What was the advance-decline ratio?\">What was the advance-decline ratio?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/univest.in\/blogs-2\/nifty-50-18-august-2026-midday-update\/#Which_sector_was_the_weakest_broad_group\" title=\"Which sector was the weakest broad group?\">Which sector was the weakest broad group?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"https:\/\/univest.in\/blogs-2\/nifty-50-18-august-2026-midday-update\/#Which_multi-stock_sectors_were_positive\" title=\"Which multi-stock sectors were positive?\">Which multi-stock sectors were positive?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-20\" href=\"https:\/\/univest.in\/blogs-2\/nifty-50-18-august-2026-midday-update\/#Which_stocks_were_the_top_gainers\" title=\"Which stocks were the top gainers?\">Which stocks were the top gainers?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-21\" href=\"https:\/\/univest.in\/blogs-2\/nifty-50-18-august-2026-midday-update\/#Which_stocks_were_the_top_losers\" title=\"Which stocks were the top losers?\">Which stocks were the top losers?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-22\" href=\"https:\/\/univest.in\/blogs-2\/nifty-50-18-august-2026-midday-update\/#Know_more_with_Univest\" title=\"Know more with Univest\">Know more with Univest<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-23\" href=\"https:\/\/univest.in\/blogs-2\/nifty-50-18-august-2026-midday-update\/#Disclaimer\" title=\"Disclaimer\">Disclaimer<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 style=\"font-weight:700\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Quick_market_takeaways\"><\/span><strong>Quick market takeaways<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>At 12:30:00 PM IST on 18 August 2026, <a href=\"https:\/\/univest.in\/screeners\/nifty50\"><a href=\"https:\/\/univest.in\/screeners\/nifty50\">Nifty 50 Today<\/a><\/a> showed a softer mid-session tone, with 16 stocks advancing, 32 declining and 2 unchanged among 50 constituents.<\/li>\n<li>The represented basket was down 0.29% on both equal-weighted and market-cap-weighted measures, indicating that weakness was visible across the constituent set as well as in larger companies.<\/li>\n<li>Diversified, trading, crude oil and power names led the positive side, while IT was the clearest multi-stock laggard; Grasim, M&amp;M and Bajaj Finance were the leading gainers.<\/li>\n<li>Infosys, Asian Paints, HCL Technologies, Tech Mahindra and Tata Motors were the principal losers. The next-session watch point is whether leadership in energy, power, finance and select autos can widen beyond a limited set of stocks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"font-weight:700\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Market_summary\"><\/span><strong>Market summary<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The market was under pressure at midday, with declining stocks outnumbering advancing stocks by a clear margin. For a normal retail investor, the key takeaway is that the softer tone was not limited to a handful of companies: weakness was spread across much of the 50-stock basket, even as select heavyweight and sectoral pockets stayed firm.<\/p>\n<p>At the latest update from <a href=\"https:\/\/univest.in\/share-market-today\"><a href=\"https:\/\/univest.in\/share-market-today\">Univest Market View<\/a><\/a>, 16 constituents advanced, 32 declined and 2 were unchanged. The advance-decline ratio stood at 0.50. The equal-weighted constituent estimate was down 0.29%, while the market-cap-weighted constituent estimate was also down 0.29%. Total volume stood at 11.30 crore shares and estimated turnover was Rs 9,272.64 crore. The represented market capitalisation was Rs 197.49 lakh crore. This alignment between the two change measures suggests that the day\u2019s pressure was shared by both broader participation and larger companies rather than being driven only by a narrow set of heavyweight stocks.<\/p>\n<p>There were nevertheless clear pockets of resilience. Grasim Industries rose 1.18%, Mahindra &amp; Mahindra gained 1.14%, Bajaj Finance added 0.94%, Axis Bank advanced 0.91% and Adani Enterprises moved up 0.90%. On the other side, IT stocks were particularly weak, led by Infosys, HCL Technologies and Tech Mahindra.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-weight:700\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_did_the_market_move\"><\/span><strong>Why did the market move?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The available price action points to a session of selective buying rather than a uniform recovery. Diversified and trading were positive through Grasim Industries and Adani Enterprises respectively, while crude oil gained 0.62% with Reliance Industries up 0.69% and ONGC up 0.23%. Power also held firm, rising 0.38%, led by NTPC at 0.43% and Power Grid at 0.32%.<\/p>\n<p>Financial and bank participation provided another supportive pocket. Bajaj Finance rose 0.94%, while Axis Bank gained 0.91%. Finance as a group was up 0.29%, though participation within it was mixed, with two advancers and two decliners. Automobile &amp; Ancillaries also rose 0.30%, but its six stocks were evenly split between three gainers and three losers. M&amp;M\u2019s 1.14% gain and Maruti Suzuki\u2019s 0.42% rise contrasted with Tata Motors\u2019 1.62% decline.<\/p>\n<p>In contrast, IT fell 1.68% with all five represented constituents declining. Infosys fell 2.25%, HCL Technologies lost 2.08%, Tech Mahindra declined 1.64%, Wipro fell 1.41% and TCS slipped 1.26%. This concentrated weakness in a five-stock group materially shaped the broader market tone. Chemicals also fell 2.24% through Asian Paints, while telecom declined 1.38% through Bharti Airtel.<\/p>\n<p>Overall, leadership in energy, utilities, selected financials and individual industrial-facing names was insufficient to offset the broader drag from IT and other lagging pockets.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-weight:700\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Market_breadth_analysis\"><\/span><strong>Market breadth analysis<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Market breadth remained negative at midday. With 16 advancers against 32 decliners, losers were exactly twice the number of gainers, producing an advance-decline ratio of 0.50. That ratio signals narrow positive participation: gains were present, but they were not widely distributed across the 50 constituents.<\/p>\n<p>The equal-weighted and market-cap-weighted constituent measures each stood at minus 0.29%. When these two measures are identical, it indicates that the market\u2019s direction was broadly consistent across the basket and not meaningfully masked by a few very large companies. For traders, this makes sustained improvement in the advance-decline ratio especially important during the rest of the session and into the next session.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-weight:700\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Sector_snapshot\"><\/span><strong>Sector snapshot<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3 style=\"font-weight:700\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Positive_multi-stock_groups\"><\/span><strong>Positive multi-stock groups<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Crude oil was the strongest broad positive group among sectors with more than one constituent, up 0.62% with both Reliance Industries and ONGC advancing. Power followed with a 0.38% gain and full positive participation from NTPC and Power Grid. Automobile &amp; Ancillaries gained 0.30%, although its internal split was balanced. Finance added 0.29%, supported by Bajaj Finance and Bajaj Finserv, while JIO Financial Services and Shriram Finance declined.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"font-weight:700\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Weak_multi-stock_groups\"><\/span><strong>Weak multi-stock groups<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>IT was the most notable broad weak group, declining 1.68% with all five stocks in the red. Its uniform decline made it more significant than one-stock category moves. The sector\u2019s downside was led by Infosys, HCL Technologies and Tech Mahindra. Autos remained mixed despite ending positive at the group level, highlighting stock-specific divergence within the sector.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-weight:700\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Top_5_gainers\"><\/span><strong>Top 5 gainers<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Stock<\/th>\n<th>Move<\/th>\n<th>Why it matters<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/univest.in\/stocks\/grasim\/grasim-industries-ltd-share-price-today\">Grasim Industries<\/a><\/td>\n<td>+1.18% to Rs 3,288.90<\/td>\n<td>Led the diversified pocket and traded near its day high.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/univest.in\/stocks\/mandm\/mahindra-and-mahindra-ltd-share-price-today\">Mahindra &amp; Mahindra<\/a><\/td>\n<td>+1.14% to Rs 3,429.20<\/td>\n<td>Provided strong auto leadership and traded near its day high.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/univest.in\/stocks\/bajfinance\/bajaj-finance-ltd-share-price-today\">Bajaj Finance<\/a><\/td>\n<td>+0.94% to Rs 1,099.50<\/td>\n<td>Supported the mixed finance group while holding near its day high.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/univest.in\/stocks\/axisbank\/axis-bank-ltd-share-price-today\">Axis Bank<\/a><\/td>\n<td>+0.91% to Rs 1,238.50<\/td>\n<td>Its advance added support from the banking space.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/univest.in\/stocks\/adanient\/adani-enterprises-ltd-share-price-today\">Adani Enterprises<\/a><\/td>\n<td>+0.90% to Rs 3,034.40<\/td>\n<td>Led the trading category and remained near its day high.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2 style=\"font-weight:700\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Top_5_losers\"><\/span><strong>Top 5 losers<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Stock<\/th>\n<th>Move<\/th>\n<th>Why it matters<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/univest.in\/stocks\/infy\/infosys-ltd-share-price-today\">Infosys<\/a><\/td>\n<td>-2.25% to Rs 1,114.20<\/td>\n<td>Largest listed loser and a major contributor to IT weakness; near its day low.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/univest.in\/stocks\/asianpaint\/asian-paints-ltd-share-price-today\">Asian Paints<\/a><\/td>\n<td>-2.24% to Rs 2,627.40<\/td>\n<td>Represented the decline in the chemicals category.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/univest.in\/stocks\/hcltech\/hcl-technologies-ltd-share-price-today\">HCL Technologies<\/a><\/td>\n<td>-2.08% to Rs 1,297.40<\/td>\n<td>Reinforced the broad-based weakness across IT.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/univest.in\/stocks\/techm\/tech-mahindra-ltd-share-price-today\">Tech Mahindra<\/a><\/td>\n<td>-1.64% to Rs 1,583.60<\/td>\n<td>Stayed near its day low, adding to pressure in technology stocks.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/univest.in\/stocks\/tmpv\/tata-motors-ltd-share-price-today\">Tata Motors<\/a><\/td>\n<td>-1.62% to Rs 324.85<\/td>\n<td>Offset part of the strength seen elsewhere in automobiles.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2 style=\"font-weight:700\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Stocks_to_watch_next_session\"><\/span><strong>Stocks to watch next session<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Grasim Industries, M&amp;M, Bajaj Finance and Adani Enterprises merit attention because each was trading near its intraday high while posting gains. Axis Bank also remains relevant after its 0.91% advance. On the weak side, Infosys, HCL Technologies and Tech Mahindra should be watched for whether their near-low range positions persist or stabilise. Tata Motors is another important auto stock to monitor after its decline contrasted with M&amp;M\u2019s strength.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-weight:700\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Technical_market_view\"><\/span><strong>Technical market view<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The available technical read is defined by breadth, intraday range position and leadership concentration. Breadth was negative, and the 0.50 advance-decline ratio reflects limited participation in gains. Several leaders were near their day highs: M&amp;M at a 96.5% range position, Bajaj Finance at 96%, Adani Enterprises at 93.8%, Axis Bank at 91% and Grasim at 81.4%.<\/p>\n<p>Conversely, Infosys, HCL Technologies and Tech Mahindra were near their day lows, with range positions of 7.8%, 5.8% and 3.6% respectively. This creates a split market structure: leadership remained firm in selected pockets, while IT selling stayed persistent. The key technical question is whether positive leadership broadens enough to improve overall participation.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-weight:700\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_bull_case\"><\/span><strong>The bull case<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The constructive case rests on resilience in several meaningful groups despite negative overall breadth. Crude oil and power both had complete positive participation, while selected financial, bank and auto names traded close to their intraday highs. Reliance Industries, NTPC, Power Grid, M&amp;M, Bajaj Finance and Axis Bank offered evidence that buying interest remained active in specific large-cap areas. If these leaders retain strength and more constituents join them, the current narrowness can improve.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-weight:700\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_cautious_case\"><\/span><strong>The cautious case<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The cautious case is anchored in the imbalance between gainers and losers and the complete decline across IT. A 32-to-16 loser-gainer count, combined with equal-weighted and market-cap-weighted declines of 0.29%, shows that the market tone was broadly soft. Concentrated weakness in Infosys, HCL Technologies, Tech Mahindra, Wipro and TCS, along with declines in telecom and construction materials, means leadership elsewhere needs to broaden before the market picture becomes more balanced.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-weight:700\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Univest_Insights\"><\/span><strong>Univest Insights<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The main market driver at midday was the contrast between broad IT weakness and selective strength in crude oil, power, finance, banking and individual auto names. The 1.68% fall in IT was especially influential because all five represented IT stocks declined, while positive groups were generally smaller or internally mixed.<\/p>\n<p>The strongest leadership areas were crude oil and power, where all represented constituents advanced. M&amp;M, Grasim, Bajaj Finance, Axis Bank and Adani Enterprises also demonstrated intraday strength by trading near their session highs. Their performance kept the market from becoming uniformly weak.<\/p>\n<p>However, the market\u2019s internal structure remained cautious. The same minus 0.29% reading for equal-weighted and market-cap-weighted measures, alongside a 0.50 advance-decline ratio, indicates that gains in leaders had not yet translated into broad participation. Autos and finance were positive at the group level but remained divided internally.<\/p>\n<p>For traders and investors, the key signal to watch is&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Track live constituent moves and sector leadership on <a href=\"https:\/\/univest.in\/share-market-today\">Univest Market View<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/univest.in\/screeners\/nifty50\">Nifty 50 Today<\/a> screener.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-weight:700\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Frequently_asked_questions\"><\/span><strong>Frequently asked questions<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3 style=\"font-weight:700\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_was_nifty_50_today_at_midday_on_18_August_2026\"><\/span><strong>How was nifty 50 today at midday on 18 August 2026?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The represented 50-stock basket was down 0.29% at 12:30:00 PM IST, with 16 advancers, 32 decliners and 2 unchanged stocks.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"font-weight:700\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_was_the_advance-decline_ratio\"><\/span><strong>What was the advance-decline ratio?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The advance-decline ratio was 0.50, based on 16 advancing stocks and 32 declining stocks.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"font-weight:700\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Which_sector_was_the_weakest_broad_group\"><\/span><strong>Which sector was the weakest broad group?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>IT was the weakest multi-stock group, down 1.68%, with all five represented constituents declining.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"font-weight:700\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Which_multi-stock_sectors_were_positive\"><\/span><strong>Which multi-stock sectors were positive?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Crude oil rose 0.62%, power gained 0.38%, automobile and ancillaries added 0.30%, and finance advanced 0.29%.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"font-weight:700\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Which_stocks_were_the_top_gainers\"><\/span><strong>Which stocks were the top gainers?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Grasim Industries, Mahindra &amp; Mahindra, Bajaj Finance, Axis Bank and Adani Enterprises were the top five gainers.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"font-weight:700\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Which_stocks_were_the_top_losers\"><\/span><strong>Which stocks were the top losers?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Infosys, Asian Paints, HCL Technologies, Tech Mahindra and Tata Motors were the top five losers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"univest-posted-at\" style=\"font-size:14px;color:#666;margin:20px 0 8px\">Published on 18 August 2026 at 12:30 PM IST<\/p>\n<section class=\"univest-login-cta\" style=\"margin:28px 0;padding:24px;border-radius:10px;background:#eef5ff;border:1px solid #cddff7;text-align:center\">\n<h2 style=\"font-weight:700\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Know_more_with_Univest\"><\/span>Know more with Univest<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Log in to Univest to explore market insights, track stocks, and get <strong>3 free trade ideas<\/strong> on <a href=\"https:\/\/univest.in\/share-market-today\">Share Market Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/univest.in\/user\/log-in\" style=\"display:inline-block;padding:11px 20px;border-radius:6px;background:#1f4e79;color:#fff !important;text-decoration:none;font-weight:700\">Know More &#8211; Log In<\/a><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"univest-disclaimer\">\n<h2 style=\"font-weight:700\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Disclaimer\"><\/span>Disclaimer<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Investments in securities markets are subject to market risks. Read all related documents carefully before investing. This market update is for informational and educational purposes only and is not personalized investment advice or a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<p><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"headline\":\"Nifty 50 Today: Midday Breadth, Top Gainers and Losers\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-08-18T07:00:00.125Z\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-08-18T07:00:00.125Z\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":\"https:\/\/univest.in\/market-update\/nifty-50\/18-august-2026-midday-update\/\",\"author\":{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"name\":\"Univest\"},\"publisher\":{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"name\":\"Univest\"},\"about\":\"Nifty 50 constituent market update\",\"isAccessibleForFree\":true}<\/script><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How was nifty 50 today at midday on 18 August 2026?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The represented 50-stock basket was down 0.29% at 12:30:00 PM IST, with 16 advancers, 32 decliners and 2 unchanged stocks.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What was the advance-decline ratio?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The advance-decline ratio was 0.50, based on 16 advancing stocks and 32 declining stocks.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Which sector was the weakest broad group?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"IT was the weakest multi-stock group, down 1.68%, with all five represented constituents declining.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Which multi-stock sectors were positive?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Crude oil rose 0.62%, power gained 0.38%, automobile and ancillaries added 0.30%, and finance advanced 0.29%.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Which stocks were the top gainers?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Grasim Industries, Mahindra & Mahindra, Bajaj Finance, Axis Bank and Adani Enterprises were the top five gainers.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Which stocks were the top losers?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Infosys, Asian Paints, HCL Technologies, Tech Mahindra and Tata Motors were the top five losers.\"}}]}<\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Nifty 50 today showed a softer midday tone on 18 August 2026, with 32 decliners against 16 gainers. IT stocks led the weakness, while crude oil, power, select financials and M&amp;M provided pockets of resilience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":209751,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[842],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-209752","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"metadata":{"rank_math_internal_links_processed":["1"],"_thumbnail_id":["209751"],"rank_math_title":["Nifty 50 Today: Midday Market Update, 18 August"],"rank_math_description":["Nifty 50 today at midday: breadth, sector trends, top gainers and losers on 18 August 2026, including IT, power, crude oil and finance."],"rank_math_focus_keyword":["nifty 50 today"],"rank_math_robots":["a:2:{i:0;s:7:\"noindex\";i:1;s:8:\"nofollow\";}"]},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/univest.in\/blogs-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Nifty_50_Today_Midday_Breadth_Top_Gainers_and_Losers_neutral.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/univest.in\/blogs-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/209752","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/univest.in\/blogs-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/univest.in\/blogs-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/univest.in\/blogs-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/univest.in\/blogs-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=209752"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/univest.in\/blogs-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/209752\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/univest.in\/blogs-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/209751"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/univest.in\/blogs-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=209752"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/univest.in\/blogs-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=209752"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/univest.in\/blogs-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=209752"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}