Stock Market Open Report Today, August 25, 2026: Sensex Down 227 pts, Nifty Below 24,150 in Morning Session as Metal, Energy Stocks Drag Amid Geopolitical Risk

Mumbai, August 25: Indian equity benchmarks extended their slide into the morning session on Tuesday, tracking weakness across most sectors as the unresolved Iran standoff kept investors on edge. The pressure builds on Monday’s reversal, when Washington warned countries against doing business with Iran while holding off on immediate penalties, and Tehran responded by vowing retaliation against the expanded US sanctions regime. 

The market’s cautious tone reflects the calibrated nature of Washington’s approach, aggressive rhetoric about an “economic onslaught” paired with a deliberately incomplete sanctions rollout that leaves the scale of potential disruption unclear. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s warning that countries continuing to trade with Iran risk being pushed out of the dollar-based financial system has done little to calm nerves, especially with Tehran signalling defiance rather than compliance. 

Iran’s Economy Minister, Ali Madanizadeh, said the country was “fully prepared” for the sanctions and warned that its defence was “no longer so defensive,” while a spokesperson for Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps vowed heavy blows to US interests if Iranian infrastructure came under threat. With neither side having launched major strikes in weeks but talks also nowhere in sight nearly six months into the conflict, Indian markets remain exposed to any fresh escalation. 

Sensex & Nifty 

The BSE Sensex was trading at 77,141.27, down 227.84 points, or 0.29 per cent, at 10:27 am in the morning session. The Nifty 50 was at 24,127.50, down 91.55 points, or 0.38 per cent, at 10:29 am. Both benchmarks extended Monday’s losses, with the Nifty slipping further below the 24,150 mark as broad-based selling weighed on sentiment. 

Gainers & Losers 

Among Nifty gainers, SBI Life Insurance (SBILIFE) rose 0.29 per cent to an LTP of Rs 1,766.9 from a previous close of Rs 1,761.8. Eternal (ETERNAL) added 0.23 per cent to Rs 327.9 versus Rs 327.15, while Trent (TRENT) gained 0.21 per cent to Rs 2,911 from Rs 2,905. Adani Ports (ADANIPORTS) advanced 0.07 per cent to Rs 1,673.3 against Rs 1,672.1, and HDFC Life Insurance (HDFCLIFE) inched up 0.05 per cent to Rs 553.2 from Rs 552.95. Among losers, HCL Technologies (HCLTECH) fell 1.62 per cent to Rs 1,300.6 from Rs 1,322, Cipla (CIPLA) dropped 1.61 per cent to Rs 1,414.8 versus Rs 1,437.9, and Hindalco Industries (HINDALCO) declined 1.32 per cent to Rs 1,044.5 from Rs 1,058.5. JSW Steel (JSWSTEEL) eased 1.21 per cent to Rs 1,310.9 against Rs 1,327, and Tata Steel (TATASTEEL) slipped 1.17 per cent to Rs 184.12 from Rs 186.3. 

Broad Market & Sectoral Indices 

Among broad market indices, the Nifty SME Emerge index bucked the trend with a 0.52 per cent gain, the Nifty India Internet index added 0.37 per cent and the Nifty Capital Markets index rose 0.26 per cent, standing out amid an otherwise weak morning. On the losing side, the Nifty Next 50 fell 0.45 per cent, the Nifty 50 declined 0.40 per cent and the Nifty 500 dropped 0.37 per cent. Sectorally, gains were scarce, with the Nifty Media index among the few in positive territory, up 0.09 per cent, even as the Nifty Metal index tumbled 1.15 per cent to lead sectoral losses, followed by the Nifty Energy index, down 0.68 per cent, and the Nifty Auto index, down 0.64 per cent. 

Asian Markets 

Asian markets were mixed on Tuesday, with Australia’s S&P ASX All Ordinaries up 0.46 per cent even as Hong Kong’s Hang Seng and Indonesia’s JSX Composite slipped into negative territory. The region’s cautious tone mirrored the wait-and-watch mood gripping Indian markets over the Iran sanctions fallout. 

Wall Street 

Wall Street ended mixed on Monday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising 0.26 per cent even as the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.76 per cent and the S&P 500 slipped 0.28 per cent. The divergence reflected investors weighing the Iran sanctions announcement against broader risk sentiment heading into the new week. 

Oil Prices 

Oil prices firmed in early trade, with WTI crude up 0.81 per cent at $85.70 a barrel and Brent crude gaining 0.62 per cent to $92.74 a barrel. The Opec basket rose 2.23 per cent to $94.91, even as Murban crude bucked the trend, falling 1.98 per cent. The mixed moves came even as the unresolved Iran standoff kept underlying supply-risk premiums elevated. 

Indian benchmarks had reversed early gains to end lower on Monday, with the Sensex falling 171.72 points, or 0.22 per cent, to 77,369.11 and the Nifty 50 declining 32.95 points, or 0.14 per cent, to 24,219.05. Selling was broad-based, with 11 of 16 sectoral indices ending lower, as financial stocks led the drag even as IT and metal counters had provided some offsetting support. 

Sources

• BSE
• NSE