Stock Market Open Report Today, October 15, 2026: Markets Soar As IT Gains, Jio IPO Lift Sentiment

Mumbai, October 15: Indian equity benchmarks opened higher on Thursday, recovering from Wednesday’s slide as easing but still elevated oil prices, Reliance Industries gaining on digital arm Jio Platforms getting ready for IPO, and the afterglow of HCL Technologies’ better-than-expected earnings supported sentiment. The upmove came despite a sharply weak global backdrop, with Asian shares and Wall Street under pressure, as investors also awaited Wipro’s September quarter results due today.

Sensex, Nifty Up Over Half a Per Cent

At 9:36 am, the BSE Sensex was trading at 73,299.18, up 517.29 points or 0.71 per cent, while at 9:37 am the NSE Nifty 50 stood at 22,770.20, higher by 147.50 points or 0.65 per cent. Wednesday’s closing levels were 72,781.89 for the Sensex and 22,622.70 for the Nifty, so both indices have more than erased the previous session’s losses of 0.34 per cent and 0.44 per cent. The Nifty also moved back above the 22,650 mark that it failed to hold on Wednesday.

Oil Relief and Jio IPO Excitement

Crude oil has retreated from the near $107 per barrel level touched earlier this week, easing concerns over imported inflation even though prices remain elevated. Jio Platforms added to the cheer after filing its red herring prospectus for what is set to be India’s largest IPO, a fresh issue of up to 270 million shares priced at Rs 1,065 to Rs 1,119 each, seeking Rs 30,213 crore. The subscription window runs from October 21 to 23, with the anchor book opening on October 19, while parent Reliance Industries (RELIANCE) gained 2.1 per cent.

IT Pack Leads Ahead of Wipro

Information technology stocks stayed in demand after HCL Technologies reported a 21.2 per cent year-on-year jump in September quarter net profit to Rs 5,132 crore, ahead of estimates, which powered Tuesday’s rally of about 1.6 per cent in both benchmarks. With Tata Consultancy Services, Tech Mahindra and Infosys leading the Nifty 50 gainers, the IT pack is extending those gains today, and attention has now turned to Wipro, which reports later in the day.

Top Gainers and Losers

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) topped the Nifty 50 gainers, rising 2.19 per cent to an LTP of Rs 2,355.40 from the previous close of Rs 2,304.90. Tech Mahindra (TECHM) gained 2.17 per cent to Rs 1,609.40 from Rs 1,575.20, Infosys (INFY) added 1.83 per cent to Rs 1,107.90 from Rs 1,088.00, Tata Consumer Products (TATACONSUM) climbed 1.42 per cent to Rs 1,001.95 from Rs 987.90, and Bharti Airtel (BHARTIARTL) advanced 1.25 per cent to Rs 1,817.10 from Rs 1,794.60.

Among the decliners, Hindalco Industries (HINDALCO) fell 1.10 per cent to an LTP of Rs 872.80 from the previous close of Rs 882.50, while Adani Ports and SEZ (ADANIPORTS) slipped 1.00 per cent to Rs 1,731.30 from Rs 1,748.70. Adani Enterprises (ADANIENT) lost 0.98 per cent to Rs 2,696.00 from Rs 2,722.60, Bharat Electronics (BEL) shed 0.97 per cent to Rs 378.65 from Rs 382.35, and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) dropped 0.94 per cent to Rs 223.38 from Rs 225.50.

Broader Markets & Sectoral Indices

Large caps outperformed in the broader market, with the Nifty 100 rising 0.22 per cent to 23,739.55, the Nifty 200 gaining 0.13 per cent to 13,170.05 and the Nifty 500 adding 0.06 per cent to 22,050.55. The Nifty Next 50 and the Nifty Smallcap 100 both fell 0.75 per cent to 68,478.80 and 19,239.05, respectively, while the Nifty Smallcap 50 declined 0.71 per cent to 9,610.70.

Among sectors, the Nifty IT surged 1.59 per cent to 30,650.10, the Nifty Private Bank rose 0.69 per cent to 27,353.95 and the Nifty FMCG added 0.42 per cent to 45,464.00. On the losing side, the Nifty PSU Bank fell 1.25 per cent to 8,065.45, the Nifty Metal lost 0.73 per cent to 11,918.85, and the Nifty Oil & Gas declined 0.41 per cent to 10,413.40, matching the fall in the Nifty Consumer Durables. The Nifty Midcap 100 also slipped 0.21 per cent to 59,285.80, underlining the divergence between large caps and the rest of the market.

Oil Prices

Oil prices eased on Thursday, with WTI crude falling $1.14 or 1.20 per cent to $93.95 per barrel and Brent crude declining $1.65 or 1.56 per cent to $104.41 per barrel, according to OilPrice.com data on a 10-minute delay. The pullback follows a climb towards $107 per barrel earlier this week that weighed on Indian equities. Brent still trades above the $100 mark, at a premium of $10.46 per barrel to WTI. Traders remain wary of the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas trade passed before the war.

Middle East Conflict

A container ship and a dry bulk carrier sank near the Strait of Hormuz within 24 hours after being hit by projectiles, maritime officials told Reuters. The Singapore-flagged GFS Pride, a 2,824 TEU vessel, sank after damage and a fire, with all 21 crew evacuated, while the Cape Dao went down weeks after a September 23 strike that killed one crew member. They are the second and third ships to sink since the US-Iran war began on February 28, and attacks have surged over the past 10 days as Iran says it is stepping up strikes in response to the US blockade of its ports and tougher sanctions. Two senior Iranian officials told Reuters that Tehran is deploying new tactics to keep oil prices elevated and influence the US midterm elections.

Asian Markets

Asian markets fell sharply on Thursday morning after a weak session on Wall Street. South Korea’s Kospi plunged 6.74 per cent to 5,603.77, Japan’s Nikkei dropped 4.68 per cent to 64,573.00 and Taiwan’s benchmark lost 2.75 per cent to 47,290.17. Shenzhen fell 2.07 per cent to 11,860.48, Shanghai slipped 1.62 per cent to 3,706.02 and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng declined 1.10 per cent to 24,047.72, while Australia’s ASX 200 eased 0.10 per cent to 8,719.10.

US Markets

Wall Street ended lower on Wednesday, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq leading the declines. The Nasdaq Composite fell 1.88 per cent to 26,692.87 and the S&P 500 dropped 1.11 per cent to 7,718.94, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.09 per cent to 51,621.48. The Nasdaq 100 lost 2.02 per cent, the Russell 2000 declined 1.93 per cent, and the VIX volatility index jumped 10.48 per cent to 16.87.

Wipro Earnings Today

Wipro will announce its September quarter results today. Analysts see revenue growth of around 8 per cent year-on-year, while the focus will be on margins, deal ramp-ups and guidance for the December quarter.

Wednesday’s Close

Indian equity benchmarks ended lower in volatile trade on Wednesday as elevated crude oil prices, persistent foreign investor outflows and weakness in financial and cyclical stocks weighed on sentiment, with the Sensex falling 251.89 points or 0.34 per cent to 72,781.89 and the Nifty 50 declining 99.25 points or 0.44 per cent to 22,622.70. The fall followed a rally of around 1.6 per cent in both benchmarks on Tuesday, led by IT stocks after HCL Technologies’ better-than-expected quarterly earnings. Foreign portfolio investors sold shares worth Rs 1,305 crore on Tuesday, extending their selling streak to 13 consecutive sessions, with year-to-date outflows at a record $32.52 billion, while domestic institutional investors bought shares worth Rs 2,439 crore. Market breadth stayed positive, with 2,351 shares advancing, 1,694 declining and 129 unchanged, even as the Nifty midcap and smallcap indices ended with marginal losses.