Stock Market Open Report Today, October 19, 2026: Sensex, Nifty Trade Flat as Private Banks Decline After Earnings

Mumbai, October 19: The Sensex and Nifty 50 were muted at the start on Monday and remained so at the time of writing as private sector lenders declined after reporting earnings over the weekend. For example, Axis Bank fell 4.42%. At 9:37 am, the Sensex was at 74,763.98, up 34.71 points, or 0.05 per cent, while the Nifty 50 was at 23,150.70, up 4.55 points, or 0.02 per cent.

Asian markets were mostly weaker, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 down 1.21 per cent and Taiwan’s Taiex down 1.69 per cent. The cues followed a fall on Wall Street on Friday, when the Nasdaq Composite dropped 2.15 per cent and the S&P 500 lost 1.09 per cent.

Investors were also keeping an eye on Iran’s statement that its proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within a week remained valid. Some banking stocks declined during the session. Axis Bank Ltd (AXISBANK) fell 4.42%, while HDFC Bank Ltd (HDFCBANK) dropped 1.65%. In contrast, ICICI Bank Ltd (ICICIBANK) rose 0.44%. 

Top Gainers and Losers 

Eicher Motors Ltd (EICHERMOT) was the top gainer among Nifty 50 constituents, rising 1.48%, or ₹107.50, to ₹7,392 from its previous close of ₹7,284.50. State Bank of India (SBI) gained 1.22% to ₹974.30 from ₹962.60. ONGC rose 1.15% to ₹224.55 from ₹222. Bharti Airtel Ltd (BHARTIARTL) advanced 1.06% to ₹1,925.10 from ₹1,905, while UltraTech Cement Ltd (ULTRACEMCO) gained 0.99% to ₹11,015 from ₹10,907. 

Axis Bank Ltd (AXISBANK) was the top loser, falling 4.42%, or ₹57, to ₹1,233 from ₹1,290, despite reporting a 37.6% jump in profit for the September quarter. Infosys Ltd (INFY) declined 1.79% to ₹1,140.40 from ₹1,161.20. HDFC Bank Ltd (HDFCBANK) fell 1.65% to ₹716.85 from ₹728.85. Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd (TMPV) lost 0.75% to ₹284.70 from ₹286.85, while Shriram Finance Ltd (SHRIRAMFIN) dropped 0.74% to ₹933 from ₹939.95. 

Broad Market and Sectoral Indices 

Among broader indices, the Nifty Next 50 gained 0.39 per cent to 69,258.95, the Nifty Smallcap 50 rose 0.10 per cent to 9,592.45 and the Nifty 100 added 0.05 per cent to 24,146.25. The Nifty Microcap 250 fell 0.45 per cent to 25,620.75, the Nifty Smallcap 500 lost 0.31 per cent to 20,184.75 and the Nifty Smallcap 250 dropped 0.26 per cent to 17,592.40, while India VIX, the market’s fear gauge, rose 2.61 per cent to 14.43. Among sectoral indices, the Nifty PSU Bank index jumped 2.21 per cent to 8,273.55, the Nifty Pharma index gained 0.68 per cent to 25,956.35 and the Nifty Healthcare index rose 0.59 per cent to 15,775.75. The Nifty Private Bank index fell 1.25 per cent to 27,354.35, the Nifty Financial Services index lost 0.58 per cent to 25,239.60 and the Nifty Chemicals index slipped 0.57 per cent to 28,203.05. 

Lenders’ Earnings 

India’s three largest private lenders delivered a mixed September quarter. ICICI Bank reported a 20.1 per cent rise in standalone net profit to Rs 14,843 crore and a 17.7 per cent rise in net interest income to Rs 25,339 crore, though its net interest margin slipped 12 basis points from the previous quarter to 4.18 per cent. HDFC Bank’s profit rose only 4.7 per cent to Rs 19,510 crore, with its margin down eight basis points to 3.32 per cent and treasury gains falling to Rs 780 crore from Rs 2,390 crore. Axis Bank posted a 37.6 per cent jump in profit to Rs 7,003 crore, helped by provisions that fell to Rs 1,694 crore from Rs 3,547 crore. 

Oil Prices 

Brent crude fell USD 1.81, or 1.65 per cent, to USD 108.05 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) lost USD 0.73, or 0.72 per cent, to USD 100.68, according to OilPrice.com. The gap between the two benchmarks stood at USD 7.37 per barrel, while Murban crude bucked the trend, rising USD 3.39, or 3.08 per cent, to USD 113.36. With both benchmarks still above USD 100, inflation, the import bill and the rupee remain in focus for India. The Nifty Oil & Gas index rose 0.48 per cent to 10,607.80, with ONGC gaining 1.15 per cent. 

Middle East 

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Sunday that Tehran’s offer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days remains on the table, after the proposal was presented in mid-September following the collapse of an interim ceasefire. Iran’s conditions include lifting the US blockade on its ports, lifting US sanctions on its oil exports and ending hostilities on all regional fronts, and Araqchi said the strait could reopen within six days of Washington accepting them, with talks resuming the next day. The main point of disagreement is the US insistence on addressing Iran’s nuclear programme from the outset, with Vice President JD Vance saying Tehran must make a meaningful cut in its uranium enrichment capacity to end the eight-month war. Iran’s security chief said last week that negotiations have stalled, and the strait carried about a fifth of the world’s oil and LNG trade before the war, while Tehran wants talks to focus first on reopening it and restoring security. 

Asian Markets 

Asian markets were mostly lower on Monday morning. Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 1.21 per cent to 64,534.03 and Taiwan dropped 1.69 per cent to 46,315.09, while New Zealand’s NZX 50 lost 0.73 per cent, Malaysia slipped 0.59 per cent and China’s Shenzhen Component eased 0.26 per cent. Australia’s ASX 200 rose 0.28 per cent to 8,831.50, the Shanghai Composite gained 0.13 per cent to 3,721.15 and Singapore’s Straits Times index added 0.08 per cent to 5,419.77, while South Korea’s Kospi was marginally lower at 5,664.79 and Thailand’s SET was unchanged at 1,573.01. 

US Markets 

Wall Street ended lower on Friday, with the Nasdaq bearing the brunt of the decline. The Nasdaq Composite fell 2.15 per cent to 26,140.03, the S&P 500 lost 1.09 per cent to 7,659.44 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.34 per cent to 52,002.41. The VIX volatility index jumped 21.45 per cent to 19.99, while the Nasdaq 100 dropped 2.50 per cent and the Russell 2000 fell 1.66 per cent. 

Friday’s Close 

Indian benchmarks ended higher for a second straight session on Friday, with the Sensex rising 413.66 points, or 0.56 per cent, to 74,729.27 and the Nifty 50 gaining 148.80 points, or 0.65 per cent, to 23,146.15. A strong rally in IT stocks led the gains, with the Nifty IT index up 3.92 per cent to 31,924.10 (it was down 0.50 per cent on Monday), while lower US Treasury yields and SEBI’s decision to reverse its closing-auction plan for derivatives settlement also supported sentiment. Market breadth was positive, with 2,221 shares advancing, 1,791 declining and 185 unchanged. Elevated crude prices and inflation concerns remained the key headwinds, and the Nifty 50 still sits about 12 per cent below its 52-week high of 26,373.20, though it has gained about 3.5 per cent from 22,363.35 on October 12. 

Sources

• BSE
• NSE
• https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iran-urges-us-accept-proposal-reopen-strait-hormuz-2026-10-18/
• cnbc.com
• oilprice.com