The Nifty 50 rallied 0.65 percent on above-average volumes on October 16, extending its gains for a second consecutive session as bulls maintained their grip on the market. The index sustained its position above short-term moving averages and the midline of the Bollinger Bands. Moreover, its 10-day and 20-day exponential moving averages (EMAs) continued to slope upward, indicating a strengthening short-term structure. However, the broader trend remains tilted in favour of the bears, as the index continues to trade below its medium- and long-term moving averages, including the 50-day and 200-day EMAs.

Going forward, the Nifty 50 needs to sustain follow-through buying next week and convincingly reclaim the 23,300–23,350 zone to extend its recovery. This range coincides with the 50-day EMA and the upper end of the bearish gap formed on September 24. A sustained move above this zone could open the door for a further rise towards 23,600–23,700. On the downside, the support base has shifted higher to 22,800–22,900 following a healthy rally of nearly 1,000 points from the October low of 22,180. The 22,550–22,600 zone remains a crucial support area, according to market experts.

After an initial hour of volatility following a positive opening, the Nifty 50 remained above the psychologically important 23,000 mark and closed at 23,146, its highest closing level since September 23. The index gained 149 points, or 0.65 percent.

On the daily charts, the index formed a bullish candle with a long lower shadow, indicating a positive bias and strong buying interest at lower levels. It also moved closer to the 38.2 percent Fibonacci retracement level at 23,173, measured from the decline between 24,774 and 22,180.

Momentum indicators also showed further improvement. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) climbed above the 50 mark to 52.81, accompanied by a positive crossover. Meanwhile, the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) maintained its bullish crossover and moved closer to the zero line, while the green histogram bars expanded for a third consecutive session.

For the week, the Nifty 50 advanced 2.78 percent, recording its strongest weekly gains since April 2026. The index also broke its six-week sequence of lower highs and lower lows, forming a long bullish candle with a lower wick on the weekly charts, indicating renewed buying interest.