Best Performing Nifty Stocks for the month ending May 2026
For the month of May 2026, the Nifty was down -2.6% MOM while it was down -5.2% on a yoy basis.
HOW DID NIFTY STOCKS PERFORM IN MAY 2026?
For the month of May 2026, the Nifty was down -2.6% MOM while it was down -5.2% on a yoy basis. The pressure of the ongoing war in the Middle East and the resultant supply chain constraints; were accentuated by the heavy FPI selling and the revamp of the MSCI-EM index. However, amidst this pessimism, there were some stocks and themes that outperformed in the market. Here is our four-factor ranking model for Nifty stocks.
| Nifty Component Company | One-Month Return (Rank) | One-Year Return (Rank) | Bounce From Low (Rank) | Distance To Peak (Rank) | Combined Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HINDALCO | 6 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 3.75 |
| ADANIPORTS | 5 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 4.50 |
| ADANIENT | 1 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 4.50 |
| GRASIM | 3 | 7 | 13 | 1 | 6.00 |
| BAJAJ-AUTO | 9 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 7.50 |
| APOLLOHOSP | 7 | 11 | 20 | 3 | 10.25 |
| JSWSTEEL | 22 | 5 | 10 | 8 | 11.25 |
| ASIANPAINT | 4 | 12 | 12 | 17 | 11.25 |
| SHRIRAMFIN | 16 | 2 | 2 | 25 | 11.25 |
| TATASTEEL | 28 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 12.00 |
| EICHERMOT | 19 | 3 | 6 | 21 | 12.25 |
| NESTLEIND | 32 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 14.00 |
| LT | 15 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 15.25 |
| TATACONSUM | 12 | 23 | 24 | 15 | 18.50 |
| AXISBANK | 20 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 18.50 |
| NTPC | 35 | 14 | 18 | 11 | 19.50 |
| SUNPHARMA | 27 | 20 | 23 | 10 | 20.00 |
| DRREDDY | 25 | 25 | 28 | 9 | 21.75 |
| COALINDIA | 43 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 22.00 |
| CIPLA | 8 | 32 | 21 | 29 | 22.50 |
OUR METHODOLOGY FOR BEST NIFTY PERFORMERS
WHAT WE READ FROM THE NIFTY RANKINGS FOR MAY 2026?
Here we look at rankings individually, and then at the combined performance.
- In the Top-20 stocks presented in the table, Adani Enterprises gave the best 1-month returns of 22.1%. Out of these 20 stocks, 14 gave positive returns over 1 month.
- In the Top-20 stocks presented, Hindalco and Shriram Finance gave the best 1-year returns of 78.7% and 49.4%. Out of 20 stocks, 19 gave positive returns over 1 year.
- The most prominent sector in the top-20 by combined rankings was the commodity sector with 5 stocks; including Hindalco, Grasim Industries, JSW Steel, Tata Steel, and Coal India Ltd. This can be attributed to the collateral effects of the US-Iran war.
- Infrastructure and Capital Goods, being domestic demand driven, had a strong presence in the top-20. This included stocks like Adani Ports, Larsen & Toubro, NTPC Ltd and Coal India. PSUs attracted strong buying interest in May 2026.
- There was a clear defensive tilt amidst the global chaos. The outperformers included FMCG stocks like Asian Paints, Nestle, and Tata Consumer; as well as healthcare stocks like Apollo Healthcare, Sun Pharma, and Cipla. Defensives were a safe bet.
- Despite being rate sensitives, financials and autos had a good presence in Top-20. This included Axis Bank, Shriram Finance, Eicher, and Bajaj Auto. In all these cases, a strong domestic customer franchise was a major performance pivot.
For the first time, holding company incubators like Adani Enterprises, Grasim, and L&T have been at the forefront of performance. That should be good news for markets!
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