Markets start December on a high: Nifty hits lifetime high of 26,325; Sensex above 86,000, up 300 points

The Indian stock market started the first trading day of December 2025 at a record high. The Sensex opened at 86,065.90, showing an uptick of 0.42%, while the Nifty began the session at 26,325.80, up 0.47%. The Nifty Bank also followed the broader trend and opened at 60,102.10, marking a rise of 0.58%. Let’s take a look at the key factors to watch out in today’s trading session – Top gainers In the opening hours, several heavyweights from the Sensex basket showed strong movement. The leading gainers in early trade included Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, Adani Ports, L&T, Sun Pharma among other key stocks . Key losers While the broader market opened firm, a few stocks came under early pressure. The notable laggards during the initial trading window were ITC, Titan, TCS, Asian Paints. Stocks to Watch: Auto sales, reshuffles and corporate actions A mix of domestic cues is likely to guide stock-specific action today. November auto sales numbers are expected to set the tone for auto and ancillary companies, with investors watching how demand shaped up ahead of the year-end. Market participants will also track developments in companies linked to index reshuffles, quarterly updates, fundraising plans and regulatory actions. Among the stocks that could see movement are Lenskart, HUL, HDFC Bank, Dalmia Bharat, ICICI Bank, IRFC, Tejas Networks and a few others involved in fresh project wins or operational changes. Market Outlook: Tracking flows, fundamentals and global signals “New record highs for the Nifty appear set to become the new norm, buoyed by India’s Q2 FY26 GDP print of 8.2% and broad-based sectoral strength. The lingering question is whether FPIs will return in force; on Friday, FIIs were net sellers to the tune of Rs 3,796 crore,” said Prashanth Tapse, Senior VP (Research), Mehta Equities. Attention now turns to whether foreign investors shift from steady offloading to meaningful buying on hopes of further rate cuts, earnings upgrades and India’s rising weight in global indices. Geopolitically, Russian President, Vladimir Putin’s 4–5 December visit for the 23rd Annual Summit adds a layer of strategic significance. Technically, the Nifty remains above its 21-DMA (25,886), 50-DMA (25,554), 100-DMA (25,223) and 200-DMA (24,578), with auto stocks in focus as the Nifty Auto Index scales fresh highs ahead of November wholesale numbers,” he added.