Most-traded NSE stocks: Vodafone Idea leads May 2026

What stood out in volumes on 13 May

Trading screens on 13 May showed a familiar pattern from early May: very high volumes in telecom and a clutch of high-beta names, even as broader market sentiment was uneven. Reports around Vodafone Idea and other telecom-linked counters helped keep trader participation elevated. At the same time, a policy move on precious metals changed the tone for gold and silver-linked products, particularly exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The day’s “most active by volume” lists again featured Vodafone Idea, YES Bank, HFCL, GTL Infrastructure and Ola Electric Mobility among others.

Vodafone Idea in focus: fundraising meeting and policy relief

Vodafone Idea remained a high-volume name after it said its board would meet to consider fundraising options, a development that improved sentiment around the debt-burdened telecom operator. The company was also expected to announce financial results soon, adding to near-term attention.

The stock’s narrative in May also included reports that Vodafone Group Plc was considering steps to bolster Vodafone Idea’s capital base, after the Indian government eased outstanding spectrum fee liabilities. Separately, a Bloomberg report had earlier flagged that Vodafone Group was exploring options to divest part of its stake to its Indian subsidiary, Vodafone Idea, a point that had previously contributed to profit-taking.

In another session referenced in the data, more than 71 crore Vodafone Idea shares changed hands as the stock rose about 8% during the session despite weak overall sentiment. The same snapshot noted the stock had risen 20% in April and was up 19% so far in May.

Gold and silver ETFs rise after import duty hike

A key policy trigger was the government raising import duty on gold and silver from 6% to 15%, with the stated intent of safeguarding foreign exchange reserves. The reports linked this change to gains in precious-metals ETFs, as investors could prefer “paper gold” exposure through ETFs when physical imports become costlier.

Both Tata Gold Exchange Traded Fund and Tata Silver Exchange Traded Fund were cited among the most-traded names, with one reference attributing a rise in Tata Silver ETF to expectations of improved inflows after the duty hike.

GTL Infrastructure: turnaround profit, revenue slips

GTL Infrastructure, a telecom tower company, was highlighted after reporting a turnaround in quarterly performance. It posted a net profit of ₹1,856 crore for the March quarter, compared with a net loss of ₹249 crore in the previous year period.

Revenue (sales) fell by nearly 2% to ₹330 crore, but traders appeared to focus more on the profitability swing than the top-line decline in that session.

Broader market tone: consumer durables drop, banks and autos softer

Not all pockets moved in the same direction. The Nifty Consumer Durables index fell more than 4% during the session referenced, while Bank, Auto and Financial Services indices declined by more than 1%. Even in a mixed tape like this, single-stock volume remained concentrated in a few familiar counters, led by telecom and select financials.

Other high-volume names: YES Bank, Ola Electric, HFCL

YES Bank remained among the most traded stocks, though one session note said the stock was down more than 2% and appeared set to snap a five-day winning streak. The bank also disclosed that the RBI imposed a monetary penalty of ₹31.80 lakh, as YES Bank did not put in place a system to use the KYC Identifier from the Central KYC Records Registry for establishing an account-based relationship.

Ola Electric Mobility saw very large volumes as well, with the stock rising nearly 5% in one session and extending gains for a fourth straight day. The company said it had received government certification for its 4680 Bharat Cell-powered S1 X+ 5.2 kWh scooter.

HFCL hit a 52-week high of ₹151.80 in one of the sessions described, rising more than 7% with more than 7 crore shares traded.

Volume leaders snapshot: 11 May 2026 data

The dataset for 11 May 2026 reinforced the same leadership pattern, with telecom and financials dominating the volume charts.

Key triggers cited across the most-traded list

The drivers behind the most-active names were largely stock-specific, with policy changes adding a second layer through ETFs.

Stocks to watch list also expands beyond volume leaders

Separately, “stocks to watch” mentions for 13 May included Texmaco Rail, RVNL, PNC Infratech, Dr Reddy’s Labs, MTAR Tech, Cohance Life, Gopal Snacks and Kalpataru Projects. While those names were flagged for attention, the highest reported volumes remained concentrated in the telecom-financial cluster and a few high-beta counters.

Why the volume pattern matters

Across the sessions referenced, turnover concentration pointed to aggressive short-term positioning in a narrow set of liquid names. Vodafone Idea’s repeated appearance at the top of the volume tables, alongside YES Bank and telecom infrastructure-linked names, showed where retail and trader activity was most intense.

At the same time, the import duty change created a clear, policy-led pathway for higher activity in gold and silver ETFs. Unlike single-stock moves driven by earnings or corporate actions, the ETF activity was tied directly to a tax and import-cost shift, which changed relative attractiveness between physical purchases and exchange-traded exposure.

Conclusion

Early May 2026 volume data, along with the 13 May trading references, showed telecom and select financials repeatedly leading the NSE’s most-active lists, while a sharp import duty increase supported gold and silver ETFs. Investors will continue to track Vodafone Idea’s fundraising discussions and upcoming results, alongside any follow-through from policy and regulatory updates referenced in the session notes.