Stock market recap, July 20 -- The Indian benchmark indices surged on Friday, 17 July 2026, as robust buying in heavyweight counters snapped a brief consolidation phase. Sensex jumped 1.25% (+965 points) to close at 78,151.45, while Nifty 50 advanced 1.09% (+261.55 points) to settle at 24,334.30. Strong gains in Reliance Industries and major private-sector banking heavyweights, including HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank, fueled the rally ahead of their highly anticipated Q1 corporate earnings announcements.

On the sectoral front, Nifty Private Bank soared 2.12%. In comparison, Nifty IT gained 1.75%, helping investors temporarily overlook persistent U.S.-Iran geopolitical friction and elevated Brent crude prices near $85 per barrel. However, the ...