Headline: Indian Benchmarks Trade Flat as IT Stocks Decline

Indian equity benchmarks closed largely flat on June 18, 2026, as declines in information technology (IT) stocks offset gains in other sectors. The Nifty 50 index dipped 0.05% to 23,514.85, while the S&P BSE Sensex edged up 0.01% to 77,341.08 in lackluster trade. The Nifty IT index fell 0.7%, with LTIMindtree (LTIM.NS) dropping 1.6% and Persistent Systems (PERS.NS) declining 1.4%. Conversely, the public sector banks index rose 1.3%, while both the energy and oil & gas indices advanced 0.7%. Among individual stocks, Power Grid (PGRD.NS) climbed 2.4% and Shriram Finance (SHFL.NS) gained 1.7%. Broader market indices, mid-cap and small-cap, also saw positive movement, rising 0.4% and 0.3% respectively.