Stock Market Open Today, August 26, 2026: Sensex Edges Up, Nifty Flatlines In Early Trade As Oil Eases

Mumbai, Aug 26: Indian equity benchmarks diverged in early trade on Wednesday, with the Sensex edging higher even as the Nifty flatlined. At 9:19 am, the BSE Sensex was at 77,825.91, up 169.82 points, or 0.22 per cent, while the Nifty 50 was at 24,314.65, down 19.90 points, or 0.08 per cent. The mixed trade came even as Asian stocks traded broadly firm and Wall Street closed strong on Tuesday amid lingering Iran uncertainty and traders awaiting Nvidia’s quarterly results. Talks between Iran and Oman over a temporary Hormuz corridor offered some relief, but a more than 2 per cent slide in oil prices failed to lift risk appetite.

Top Gainers & Losers 

Among the Nifty’s top gainers, ICICI Bank (ICICIBANK) climbed 1.35 per cent to an LTP of Rs 1,441.90 from Rs 1,422.70, and UltraTech Cement (ULTRACEMCO) advanced 1.18 per cent to Rs 11,676 against Rs 11,540. SBI Life (SBILIFE) added 0.98 per cent to Rs 1,772.20 versus Rs 1,755, Asian Paints (ASIANPAINT) rose 0.95 per cent to Rs 2,665 from Rs 2,639.80, and Axis Bank (AXISBANK) gained 0.92 per cent to Rs 1,246.40 against Rs 1,235. Among losers, Tata Steel (TATASTEEL) fell 1.36 per cent to Rs 184.40 from Rs 186.94, Max Healthcare (MAXHEALTH) dropped 1.26 per cent to Rs 1,003.20 versus Rs 1,016, and ONGC (ONGC) declined 1.21 per cent to Rs 231.16 from Rs 234. Cipla (CIPLA) slipped 1.13 per cent to Rs 1,405.90 against Rs 1,422, while Infosys (INFY) eased 1.09 per cent to Rs 1,131.50 from Rs 1,144. 

Broad Market and Sectoral Indices 

Broad market indices stayed mostly positive, led by the Nifty Smallcap 100 (up 0.48 per cent), the Nifty Next 50 (up 0.31 per cent) and the Nifty Midcap Select (up 0.21 per cent), while strategy gauges lagged, led by the Nifty Growth Sectors 15 (down 0.25 per cent), the Nifty200 Quality 30 (down 0.10 per cent) and the Nifty100 Quality 30 (down 0.04 per cent). Sectorally, the Nifty PSU Bank surged 1.14 per cent, the Nifty Realty gained 0.92 per cent and the Nifty Media rose 0.55 per cent, while the Nifty Healthcare Index, the Nifty Metal and the Nifty Pharma fell 0.39 per cent, 0.37 per cent and 0.23 per cent, respectively. 

Asian Markets 

Asian markets were mostly firm on Wednesday, with Hong Kong’s Hang Seng jumping 0.96 per cent, Shanghai’s SE Composite adding 0.85 per cent and Japan’s Nikkei 225 climbing 0.56 per cent, even as Australia’s ASX All Ordinaries and Thailand’s SET index bucked the trend. The broadly positive tone reflected easing risk aversion from a day earlier. 

US Markets 

US markets closed strong on Tuesday, with the Nasdaq Composite up 0.66 per cent, the S&P 500 gaining 0.32 per cent and the Dow up 0.30 per cent, buoyed by risk appetite ahead of Nvidia’s earnings. The upbeat close set a positive backdrop for Asian and Indian markets, even as investors stayed watchful of the unresolved Iran standoff. 

Oil Prices 

Oil prices extended their slide for a second session, with Brent crude down 2.75 per cent at $86.14 a barrel and WTI crude falling 2.62 per cent to $80.20, as traders shrugged off the latest US sanctions on Iran. Murban crude tumbled nearly 8 per cent to $93.44. The retreat, if sustained, would ease India’s import bill and inflationary pressure. 

Middle East Conflict 

Iran said it had resumed talks with Oman on a temporary navigational corridor through the Strait of Hormuz, agreeing to clear the waterway of mines even as most shipping there has stayed suspended since February. An oil tanker was struck by an unidentified projectile and disabled near Oman’s coast on Tuesday, underscoring how perilous passage remains despite the outreach. The US Treasury’s threat to punish countries doing business with Iran has yet to translate into penalties, and Washington has begun sending personnel back to some evacuated Middle East missions. Iran denounced the sanctions push as unlawful and expects many countries to resist it. The US Secret Service also said it was investigating an Iranian state TV broadcast on a plot against President Trump’s son, even as public support for the war has fallen to its lowest level yet. 

Previous Day Sensex, Nifty Close 

Indian benchmarks closed higher on Tuesday despite a volatile expiry session, with the Sensex rising 0.37 per cent to 77,656.09 and the Nifty gaining 0.48 per cent to reclaim the 24,300 mark at 24,334.55. Buying in IT, pharma and PSU banking stocks helped the market recover from an early dip below 24,200, even as breadth stayed weak, with 1,993 advancing shares against 2,153 decliners. The gains came despite soft global cues, with Adani Enterprises among the top gainers and Cipla among the top losers. 

Source

• NSE
• BSE
• Reuters
• OilPrice.com