Stock Market Open Report Today, September 18, 2026: Sensex, Nifty Edge Higher As IPOs Limit Gains

Mumbai, Sept 18: Indian equity benchmarks edged higher on Friday, tracking positive global cues such as advancing shares across the globe and easing oil prices, even as liquidity diversion caused by IPO rush limited gains. The BSE Sensex rose 0.2 per cent while the NSE Nifty also advanced 0.2 per cent as of 10:06 am.

Asian bourses rose on Friday morning after a firm Wall Street session on Thursday where the Nasdaq 100 jumped nearly 2 per cent.

US President Donald Trump is set to meet leaders of six Gulf nations, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday. Trump told Axios on Thursday he was nearing a decision on whether to escalate or wind down the Iran conflict, saying the war “will end soon”, a remark markets read as favouring diplomacy over a fresh round of strikes. The outreach also comes ahead of the November midterm elections, in which high energy prices tied to the conflict pose a political risk for Trump’s Republican Party.

Gainers & Losers 

Among individual stocks, Eternal (ETERNAL) led the gainers on the Nifty, rising 1.86 per cent to a last traded price of Rs 328.35 against Wednesday’s previous close of Rs 322.35. Dr Reddy’s Laboratories (DRREDDY) climbed 1.5 per cent to Rs 1,192.60 from a previous close of Rs 1,175, while InterGlobe Aviation (INDIGO) advanced 1.38 per cent to Rs 4,912 versus its prior close of Rs 4,845. Shriram Finance (SHRIRAMFIN) gained 1.1 per cent to trade at Rs 1,005.90 compared with a previous close of Rs 995, and Max Healthcare Institute (MAXHEALTH) rose 1.06 per cent to Rs 1,048 from a previous close of Rs 1,037.  

On the losing side, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles (TMPV) fell the most among Nifty constituents, down 3.1 per cent to Rs 304.75 against a previous close of Rs 314.50. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) declined 3.05 per cent to Rs 2,123.10 from a previous close of Rs 2,190, while Tech Mahindra (TECHM) slipped 1.37 per cent to Rs 1,539.60 versus a prior close of Rs 1,561. HCL Technologies (HCLTECH) shed 1.26 per cent to Rs 1,242.40 from a previous close of Rs 1,258.30, and Infosys (INFY) lost 1.18 per cent to trade at Rs 1,046.10 compared with a previous close of Rs 1,058.60. 

Broad Market & Sectoral Indices 

Among broader market gauges, the Nifty Smallcap 100 was the standout, rising 0.83 per cent, followed by the Nifty 500, up 0.37 per cent, and the Nifty Midcap 100, higher by 0.52 per cent. On the other hand, a clutch of factor-based broad market indices lagged, with the Nifty50 Value 20 and the Nifty Top 10 Equal Weight index both down 0.26 per cent, while the Nifty200 Quality 30 slipped 0.11 per cent. Among sectoral indices, the Nifty Realty index led the pack with a gain of 1.17 per cent, followed by the Nifty Pharma index, up 0.77 per cent, and the Nifty Healthcare index, higher by 0.71 per cent. The Nifty IT index was the biggest sectoral laggard, down 1.65 per cent on continued weakness in technology counters, while the Nifty FMCG index was marginally lower by 0.01 per cent and the Nifty Midsmall IT & Telecom index fell 0.50 per cent. 

Asian & US Stocks 

Asian markets extended their gains on Friday morning, with South Korea’s Kospi jumping 2.01 per cent to lead regional gainers. Japan’s Nikkei rose 0.74 per cent and Taiwan’s benchmark climbed 1.02 per cent, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng and mainland China’s Shanghai Composite both advanced 0.81 per cent. US markets closed firmly higher on Thursday, with the Nasdaq 100 surging 1.73 per cent and the NYSE Composite gaining 0.65 per cent. The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies rose 0.55 per cent, while utility stocks advanced 0.91 per cent, reflecting broad-based buying on Wall Street. 

Crude Oil 

Crude oil prices eased in early trading on Friday even as the Middle East conflict continued to widen. WTI crude slipped 0.39 per cent to USD 101.51 a barrel, while Brent crude fell 0.57 per cent to USD 104.22 a barrel. Murban crude, the key Gulf benchmark, declined sharply by 1.95 per cent to USD 121.39 a barrel, and natural gas prices dropped 1.62 per cent. The moves came despite growing supply-side concerns, with the Strait of Hormuz remaining constrained and the Red Sea route increasingly at risk from the Saudi-Houthi clashes. 

Iran War 

The Middle East conflict showed fresh signs of escalation through the week, with Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis exchanging strikes across their border and Yemeni civilians fleeing by boat across the Red Sea. Saudi Arabia’s civil defence reported the first death from the renewed Houthi attacks after a Yemeni resident was killed by debris from an intercepted drone in Taif. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said a Togo-flagged oil tanker caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz after what Tehran called an illegal passage attempt. China has also privately pressed Iran to rein in the Houthis after an appeal from Saudi Arabia, even as Beijing publicly called for restraint and dialogue. 

NSE IPO 

In one of yesterday’s key corporate events, the National Stock Exchange’s much-awaited initial public offering opened for subscription on September 17, with the Rs 22,561.57 crore issue drawing bids across investor categories on the first day. The IPO, entirely an offer for sale of 12.64 crore shares, has been priced in a band of Rs 1,700 to Rs 1,785 per share and will remain open for subscription until September 21. The exchange has also reserved up to 4,33,437 shares for eligible employees at a discount of Rs 170 to the issue price, and the listing is being closely watched as one of the largest and most keenly tracked public offerings in the domestic market this year. 

Sensex & Nifty on Thursday 

Indian equity benchmarks had ended mixed on Thursday, with the Sensex slipping 21.86 points, or 0.03 per cent, to 74,314.59, even as the Nifty gained 53 points, or 0.23 per cent, to close at 23,270.60, aided by bargain buying in the broader market. Market breadth was strongly positive, with 2,480 stocks advancing against 1,487 declines on the NSE, while the Nifty Midcap 100 and Nifty Smallcap 100 rose 0.9 per cent and 0.8 per cent respectively. Realty and pharma were the top sectoral performers, both gaining more than 1.5 per cent, while media rose 1.35 per cent and auto and metal indices climbed around 1 per cent each, even as weakness in banking stocks capped gains on the headline indices. Tata group stocks were among the notable movers on Thursday, with shares of Tata Motors PV, Tata Motors, Tata Steel and Tata Investment Corporation advancing between 2.3 per cent and 5.5 per cent after the Tata Sons board reportedly approved a new five-year term for N Chandrasekaran as executive chairman, a development that added to the buying interest across the wider Tata group counters through the session. 

Sources

• NSE
• BSE
• https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/trump-hopes-iran-war-nearing-end-houthi-saudi-fighting-escalates-2026-09-17/
• https://www.axios.com
• https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-presses-iran-help-rein-houthis-after-saudi-appeal-sources-say-2026-09-17/
• https://www.cnbc.com/markets/us-markets/