Stock Market Open Report Today, October 14, 2026: Sensex, Nifty Open Flat as Asian Tech Rally Meets Wall Street Chip Slump

Mumbai, October 14: Indian equity benchmarks opened almost unchanged on Wednesday, as a recovery in Asian technology stocks was offset by a weak Wall Street, firm crude oil prices and fresh escalation in the Strait of Hormuz. 

Asian markets traded higher as technology shares rebounded across the region after a recent selloff. US indices ended lower on semiconductor weakness, mixed earnings from major banks and caution ahead of inflation data and climbing oil prices. 

Sensex and Nifty 

The Sensex was at 73,026.54, down 7.24 points or 0.01 per cent, at 9:21 am. The Nifty 50 was at 22,713.70, down 8.25 points or 0.04 per cent, at 9:23 am. Both benchmarks are therefore hovering within a whisker of Tuesday’s levels after a sharp one-day recovery. 

The Iran war remains the dominant risk for markets. Two senior Iranian officials told Reuters that Tehran is changing tactics to step up attacks on shipping around the Strait of Hormuz before the US midterm elections, with the aim of keeping oil prices high.  

Domestic cues stay cautious. India’s retail inflation accelerated to 5.54 per cent in September, near the Reserve Bank of India’s 6 per cent upper tolerance limit, and foreign investors sold Indian shares for a 12th straight session on Monday, taking October outflows to about USD 4.9 billion. Markets are also weighing the risk of further interest rate hikes. The RBI has also tightened rules on rupee non-deliverable derivative contracts to support the currency. 

Gainers and Losers 

Information technology stocks dominated the gainers on the Nifty 50 after Tuesday’s rally. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) rose 3.13 per cent to Rs 2,328.00 from its previous close of Rs 2,269.30, with 19,89,749 shares worth about Rs 460.09 crore traded, HCL Technologies (HCLTECH) gained 1.70 per cent to Rs 1,348.60 from Rs 1,326.00, and Infosys (INFY) advanced 1.61 per cent to Rs 1,079.20 from Rs 1,062.10. Coal India (COALINDIA) added 1.41 per cent to Rs 414.25 from Rs 408.50, and Nestle India (NESTLEIND) climbed 1.31 per cent to Rs 1,351.50 from Rs 1,334.00. Financial stocks led the decliners as rate-hike worries persisted.  

On the losing side, Shriram Finance (SHRIRAMFIN) fell 1.57 per cent to Rs 972.45 from Rs 988.00, Bajaj Finance (BAJFINANCE) lost 1.19 per cent to Rs 971.05 from Rs 982.75, and Dr Reddy’s Laboratories (DRREDDY) declined 1.05 per cent to Rs 1,227.00 from Rs 1,240.00. BSE Ltd (BSE) slipped 1.02 per cent to Rs 3,341.00 from Rs 3,375.40, while Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (ADANIPORTS) dropped 0.96 per cent to Rs 1,746.10 from Rs 1,763.00. 

Broader Market and Sectoral Indices 

No broad market index was in the green. The Nifty Microcap 250 showed the least damage, down 0.12 per cent at 25,768.85, followed by the Nifty India FPI 150, down 0.23 per cent at 1,466.60, and the Nifty Smallcap 500, down 0.23 per cent at 20,372.45. The Nifty Next 50 was the weakest, down 0.62 per cent at 68,499.50, followed by the Nifty Midcap 100, down 0.47 per cent at 59,180.05, and the Nifty Midcap 150, down 0.46 per cent at 21,729.45. India VIX, the fear gauge, rose 2.90 per cent to 14.53.  

Among sectoral indices, the Nifty IT led with a gain of 1.79 per cent at 30,365.00, extending Tuesday’s surge, followed by the Nifty MidSmall IT & Telecom, up 0.91 per cent at 10,224.95, and the Nifty FMCG, up 0.05 per cent at 44,751.80. The Nifty PSU Bank was the biggest loser, down 1.05 per cent at 8,061.25, followed by the Nifty Financial Services Ex-Bank, down 0.95 per cent at 29,866.95, and the Nifty Pharma, down 0.71 per cent at 25,891.10. The Nifty Metal, Realty and Healthcare indices also traded lower, each down between 0.51 per cent and 0.67 per cent. 

Oil Prices 

Brent crude rose 1.10 per cent, or USD 1.16, to USD 106.85 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate gained 1.09 per cent, or USD 1.03, to USD 95.17 per barrel, according to OilPrice.com data on a 10-minute delay. Brent remained above the USD 100 mark even after easing during Tuesday’s session, and the gap between the two benchmarks stands at USD 11.68 per barrel. Prices are being driven by curtailed traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which carried about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas trade before the war began on February 28 with US and Israeli strikes on Iran, even though some oil continues to transit. For India, a sustained climb in crude adds to inflation, widens the import bill and weighs on the rupee. 

Middle East Conflict 

Iran is deploying new tactics against ships in the Strait of Hormuz to keep oil prices high and influence the US midterm elections in November, two senior Iranian officials told Reuters. One official said the change in the type and pace of attacks began about 10 days ago, and that operations will widen to the Gulf of Oman and waters further afield, with one saying a complete closure of the strait will come soon. A US military official said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has begun using unarmed spotters in small boats to identify targets after US strikes destroyed much of its radar capability, and at least five incidents involving tankers and other commercial ships were reported in the past 48 hours, a pace that mirrors the attacks of October 3 to 5, according to International Maritime Organization data. US President Donald Trump has said he will not attack again before the vote, while Washington continues its naval blockade of Iranian ports and extends sanctions to push Tehran towards a deal. 

Asian Markets 

Asian markets traded higher on Wednesday as technology stocks recovered across the region after a recent selloff. South Korea’s Kospi jumped 1.33 per cent to 6,115.43, Taiwan’s benchmark index gained 1.30 per cent to 48,971.62 and Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 0.63 per cent to 68,204.39. Australia’s ASX 200 fell 0.95 per cent to 8,700.10 and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng slipped 0.19 per cent to 24,299.67, while the Shanghai Composite edged up 0.08 per cent to 3,803.73 and the Shenzhen Component fell 0.31 per cent. 

US Markets 

US stocks ended lower on Tuesday on semiconductor weakness, mixed earnings from major banks and caution ahead of inflation data and climbing oil prices. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.35 per cent to 51,670.10, the Nasdaq Composite lost 0.15 per cent to 27,204.38, the Nasdaq 100 slid 0.31 per cent to 30,569.48 and the S&P 500 slipped 0.02 per cent to 7,805.45. The Cboe Volatility Index, or VIX, edged up 0.39 per cent to 15.27. 

Previous Close 

On Tuesday, October 13, Indian equity benchmarks staged a sharp recovery, with the BSE Sensex jumping 1,109.10 points, or 1.54 per cent, to close at 73,033.78 and the NSE Nifty 50 advancing 358.60 points, or 1.60 per cent, to settle at 22,721.95. The rally was led by the Nifty IT index, which surged 5.2 per cent after HCL Technologies reported a 21.2 per cent year-on-year rise in September-quarter net profit that beat expectations, even as the company kept a cautious annual revenue outlook amid geopolitical uncertainty and artificial intelligence-led disruption concerns. Market breadth was positive, with 2,303 shares advancing, 1,711 declining and 162 unchanged, while the Nifty Midcap index rose 1 per cent and the Nifty Smallcap index gained 0.1 per cent. All sectoral indices except energy and pharmaceuticals ended higher, with the Nifty Metal, PSU Bank, Auto, Consumer Durables and Realty indices each gaining around 1 per cent. 

Source

• Reuters
• NSE
• BSE
• OilPrice.com