Metal Stocks Rise as Tata Steel and Jindal Steel Lead the Rally

Market Performance

The Indian stock market saw selective strength on Tuesday as metal stocks defied the broader market weakness. While benchmark indices traded lower, the Nifty Metal index turned out to be the day’s outperformer, climbing nearly 1% to 10,571 points around 11:30 a.m., making it the top gainer among all sectoral indices.

In contrast, most other sectoral indices were in the red, showing how metals stole the spotlight despite global market caution.

At the same time, broader markets witnessed mild pressure — the Sensex slipped 357 points or 0.4% to 84,422, and the Nifty 50 fell 93 points to 25,873.

Main News: US-China Trade Optimism Lifts Metal Stocks

The rally in metal stocks today was driven by optimism around progress in US-China trade talks, after reports indicated that officials from both nations had finalized a trade framework for Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping to review later this week.

This development sparked hopes that the two largest economies might avoid fresh tariff escalations or restrictions on key commodities like rare earth exports. The easing trade tensions boosted investor sentiment across global metal markets — and Indian stocks responded positively.

Company Details

Among individual stocks, the momentum was led by Jindal Steel and Tata Steel, both seeing strong gains during the session.

• Jindal Steel surged 3.9% to ₹1,073.8, ahead of its Q2 FY26 financial results scheduled to be released later in the day.
• Tata Steel advanced 2.2% to ₹180.6, extending its recent winning streak supported by improving domestic steel demand and stronger pricing trends.

Other metal counters also participated in the uptrend:

• SAIL gained 2.1%
• Hindalco added 1%
• JSW Steel rose 1.15%

However, a few names bucked the trend — Hindustan Zinc slipped over 2%, while Vedanta, Hindustan Copper, Jindal Stainless, and Lloyds Metals also traded with marginal losses.

Sector Snapshot: Metals Outperform Broader Market

Even as the benchmark indices cooled off, the Nifty Metal Index showed notable resilience. Year-to-date, the index has already advanced 22.25%, comfortably outperforming the Nifty 50’s 9.5% gain during the same period.

This sustained momentum highlights how the metal sector continues to attract attention amid global supply chain shifts and improving domestic demand.

Summary

• Nifty Metal Index: Up 1% to 10,571 points at 11:30 a.m.
• Top Gainers: Jindal Steel (+3.9%), Tata Steel (+2.2%), SAIL (+2.1%), JSW Steel (+1.15%)
• Losers: Hindustan Zinc (-2%), Vedanta, Hindustan Copper, Jindal Stainless, Lloyds Metals
• Sensex: Down 357 pts (0.4%) at 84,422
• Nifty 50: Down 93 pts at 25,873
• Key Driver: Optimism around US-China trade progress boosting sentiment in metal stocks