Today’s Overview: The Nifty 50 advanced 153.20 points to 22,753.20 on October 26, 2026, while the BSE Sensex climbed 477.92 points to 73,606.75. Strong festive sales across automobiles and consumer goods, Brent crude softening to $97.80 per barrel, and steady mutual fund SIP inflows lifted market confidence ahead of Saturday’s quarterly TDS tax filing deadline.
Today’s Top Finance & Economy Stories
1. Why Did Sensex Climb 478 Points and Nifty Reclaim 22,753 on Monday?
What happened: Indian equity benchmarks opened the festive trading week with broad-based buying on Monday. The BSE Sensex advanced +477.92 points (+0.65%) to settle at 73,606.75, while the Nifty 50 gained +153.20 points (+0.68%) to close at 22,753.20, bouncing decisively off Friday’s 22,600 support level. Strong showroom dispatches in passenger vehicles, consumer electronics, and branded jewellery lifted index heavyweights, while Bank Nifty edged higher by +79.35 points (+0.15%) to 54,366.70.
Why it matters: Benchmarks rebounding cleanly from technical support levels reward investors who maintain uninterrupted systematic investment plans during minor pullbacks. To calculate how consistent monthly allocations grow wealth across alternating market cycles, review your compounding projections on our SIP Calculator.
Key Takeaway: Sensex rose 478 points to 73,607 and Nifty reclaimed 22,753 as festive consumer demand and falling crude prices fueled broad accumulation.
2. Why Is the October 31 Q2 TDS Filing Deadline Important for Salaried Employees and Vendors?
What happened: Corporate finance departments and business deductors entered the final compliance week for filing second-quarter (July to September) TDS statements in Form 24Q (salaries) and Form 26Q (non-salary vendor and interest payments) ahead of the statutory October 31, 2026 deadline. Missing the cut-off attracts a mandatory late filing fee of Rs 200 per day under Section 234E of the Income Tax Act.
Why it matters: Once employers and banks submit quarterly TDS statements by October 31, tax credits for July through September update in your Form 26AS and Annual Information Statement (AIS) by early November. Salaried employees and professionals should verify these entries to prevent tax credit mismatches and plan remaining tax-saving deductions. To compare your exact tax liability across both tax structures, use our Old vs New Tax Regime Calculator.
Key Takeaway: Deductors must file Q2 TDS returns by October 31 to avoid Rs 200 daily penalties, enabling taxpayers to verify Form 26AS credits in early November.
3. Gold Reaches Rs 1.54 Lakh: How Are Households Balancing Jewellery and Digital Gold ETFs?
What happened: Indicative 24K retail gold rose to Rs 1,54,100 per 10 grams on Monday, while silver climbed to Rs 2,42,300 per kilogram amid peak festive showroom deliveries. Alongside brisk physical coin and ornament sales, stock exchange data showed elevated retail inflows into electronic Gold Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) as cost-conscious savers sought to capture bullion appreciation without paying 12% to 18% in jewellery fabrication charges.
Why it matters: Holding investment gold via demat ETFs eliminates storage overheads and resale purity deductions while providing instant exchange liquidity. For families allocating festive bonuses or structuring lump-sum portfolios, calculate your projected returns on our Lumpsum Calculator and plan annual contribution increases on our Step-Up SIP Calculator.
Key Takeaway: Retail 24K gold touched Rs 1,54,100 per 10g, with savers pairing ceremonial jewellery purchases with zero-making-charge Gold ETFs.
4. How Are Festive Home and Vehicle Loan Offers Supporting Retail Borrowers?
What happened: Bank Nifty closed 79.35 points higher at 54,366.70 on Monday, stabilizing after last week’s post-earnings adjustments. Scheduled commercial banks reported strong festive loan disbursals across passenger vehicles, two-wheelers, and residential mortgages. With the Reserve Bank of India holding the policy repo rate steady at 6.50%, major lenders have extended zero-processing-fee home loan campaigns through the Diwali period.
Why it matters: Processing fee waivers and stable external benchmark lending rates reduce upfront property acquisition costs while keeping monthly installments predictable. If you are evaluating home loan offers or planning principal prepayments, check your amortization schedule on our Home Loan EMI Calculator.
Key Takeaway: Bank Nifty stabilized at 54,367 as strong festive vehicle and mortgage disbursals supported frontline commercial lenders.
5. How Does Brent Crude Dropping to $97.80 Benefit Domestic Living Costs?
What happened: International benchmark Brent crude declined 0.41% to trade at $97.80 per barrel on Monday, marking its lowest level in three weeks as global supply routes remained stable. Lower oil import costs helped the Indian Rupee strengthen by 8 paise to close at 96.16 against the US Dollar, easing input cost pressures for paint, aviation, and chemical manufacturers.
Why it matters: Crude oil trading below $98 per barrel contains domestic diesel freight expenses and reduces upward pressure on retail food and grocery prices. To see how inflation affects your family’s future purchasing power and long-term savings goals, test your numbers on our Inflation Calculator.
Key Takeaway: Brent crude softening to $97.80 and the Rupee firming to 96.16 provide welcome macro relief for household budgets.
6. How Should Investors Approach Portfolio Rebalancing Ahead of Muhurat Trading?
What happened: As stock exchanges prepare for the annual Diwali Muhurat trading session later this week, domestic mutual fund houses reported steady retail inflows across flexi-cap, large-and-mid-cap, and multi-asset allocation schemes. Financial planners advised retail investors to use symbolic Muhurat purchases for long-term core portfolio holdings rather than short-term speculative trades.
Why it matters: Reviewing asset allocation once a year around Diwali helps investors lock in gains from outperforming segments and rebalance into quality diversified funds. If you are adding to existing equity positions and want to track your revised holding cost, use our Stock Average Calculator.
Key Takeaway: Disciplined annual portfolio reviews ahead of Muhurat trading help households align equity and gold weights with long-term financial goals.
Comprehensive Finance, Policy & Economic Updates
Banking, Regulatory & Tax Developments
- October 31 Quarterly TDS Filing Cut-off: Employers and business deductors must submit Q2 TDS statements (Forms 24Q and 26Q) by Saturday, October 31, to avoid Section 234E late fees of Rs 200 per day.
- Bank Lending Rate Stability: Scheduled commercial banks maintained External Benchmark Lending Rates (EBLR) anchored to the 6.50% policy repo rate, keeping floating home loan EMIs steady.
- Festive Fixed Deposit Peak Windows: Public and private sector banks continue offering special 400 to 555-day term deposit yields between 7.40% and 7.85% for retail and senior citizen savers.
- GST Input Tax Credit Compliance: Businesses completing monthly tax reconciliations are verifying supplier GSTR-2B entries to ensure compliant input tax credit claims under Section 16(2)(aa).
- Cashless Health Insurance Rollout: General insurers expanded hospital onboarding under the National Health Claims Exchange (NHCX) to speed up cashless claim approvals for policyholders.
Personal Wealth, FinTech & Consumer Living Costs
- Mutual Fund SIP Inflow Resilience: Domestic systematic investment plans maintained strong daily collections above the ₹23,000 crore monthly run-rate, anchoring domestic equity liquidity.
- Record Festive UPI Payment Velocity: NPCI payment rails processed over 535 million daily transactions across retail stores and e-commerce platforms, aided by UPI Lite and RuPay credit lines on UPI.
- Bullion & Gold ETF Allocation: With 24K retail gold at Rs 1,54,100 per 10g, retail investors directed substantial festive savings into demat Gold ETFs to bypass physical making charges.
- Sub-$98 Crude Freight Relief: Brent crude easing to $97.80 per barrel reduced fuel cost pressure across commercial highway transport and consumer goods logistics.
- Diwali Muhurat Trading Preparations: Stock brokers and depository participants completed system readiness checks for the upcoming auspicious Muhurat trading window.
Market & Macro Snapshot
Market figures reflect official closing numbers on 26 October 2026. Indicative 24K retail gold was Rs 1,54,100 per 10g and retail silver was Rs 2,42,300 per 1kg. Retail rates vary across cities because of local taxes, octroi, and jeweller making charges.
Top Gainers & Losers Nifty 50, 26 October 2026
â–² Top 5 Gainers
- Maruti Suzuki +2.35%
₹13,120.00 | Led auto shares on strong festive showroom passenger vehicle deliveries.
- Titan Company +1.95%
₹3,655.00 | Advanced on record festive jewellery and watch division retail sales.
- Asian Paints +1.60%
₹3,350.00 | Gained on input cost relief as Brent crude dropped below $98 per barrel.
- Bajaj Auto +1.45%
₹10,480.00 | Supported by healthy two-wheeler festive dispatches across rural markets.
- ITC +1.10%
₹536.85 | Climbed on steady institutional accumulation in fast-moving consumer goods.
â–¼ Top 5 Losers
- ONGC -1.65%
₹273.80 | Pressured by international crude oil easing to $97.80 per barrel.
- Coal India -1.20%
₹466.50 | Witnessed mild profit-taking as funds rotated into consumer cyclicals.
- IndusInd Bank -0.95%
₹1,332.00 | Consolidated following last week’s quarterly earnings adjustments.
- NTPC -0.70%
₹391.20 | Eased marginally in quiet defensive utility trade.
- Dr. Reddy’s -0.55%
₹6,680.00 | Traded with a mild negative bias ahead of US generics updates.
Form 26AS (Annual Tax Credit Statement)
Meaning: Form 26AS is an official consolidated annual tax statement issued by the Income Tax Department under your Permanent Account Number (PAN). It records all Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) by employers, banks, and clients, Tax Collected at Source (TCS), and advance or self-assessment tax paid during the financial year.
Example: After employers and banks file their Q2 TDS returns by the October 31 deadline, salaried taxpayers check Form 26AS in November to verify that every rupee of tax deducted from their July to September salary is properly credited to their PAN.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Sensex and Nifty rebound on 26 October 2026?
Benchmarks rallied as strong festive showroom sales boosted automobile and consumer durable shares, while Brent crude dropping to $97.80 per barrel eased imported inflation concerns.
Why is the October 31 TDS filing deadline important for taxpayers?
October 31 is the statutory deadline for deductors to file Q2 TDS statements (Forms 24Q and 26Q). Timely filing ensures that tax deducted between July and September appears accurately in your Form 26AS and AIS.
How does sub-$98 crude oil help household budgets?
Crude oil below $98 per barrel lowers national diesel freight costs and packaging inputs, helping stabilize retail prices for groceries and consumer goods while supporting the Rupee.
Upcoming Market & Economic Events to Watch
- Q2 TDS/TCS Statement Filing Deadline: Statutory cut-off for quarterly TDS return submission on Saturday, October 31, 2026.
- Diwali Muhurat Trading Session: Stock exchanges conduct the auspicious evening trading session later this week.
- Monthly F&O Series Expiry: October derivative contracts settle on Thursday, October 29, 2026.
- October Auto Dispatch Numbers: Automakers release monthly festive wholesale and retail delivery figures on November 1.
Plan Your Financial Strategy with PlanMyReturns Tools
Use our free financial calculators to plan your savings, calculate loan payments, and estimate taxes:
- SIP Calculator: Calculate mutual fund returns over your investment horizon
- Stock Average Calculator: Calculate your average share price after multiple buys
- Home Loan EMI Calculator: Check your monthly home loan installments and interest schedule
- Old vs New Tax Regime Calculator: Compare your income tax bill under both tax slabs
- Inflation Calculator: Check how future prices change the purchasing power of your money
About PMR Pulse
PMR Pulse is PlanMyReturns’ flagship daily market and finance wrap. We track domestic stock benchmarks, global economic indicators, banking policies, taxation changes, and primary markets to give Indian households and investors clear, actionable context every trading day.
