Stock Market Open Report Today, September 22, 2026: Sensex, Nifty Open Higher as Asian and US Stocks Support Sentiment; US Calls Off Airstrikes

Mumbai, Sept 22: Indian equity benchmarks opened higher on Tuesday, tracking a strong close across Asian markets and an upbeat session on Wall Street overnight, even as crude oil prices climbed and the Middle East conflict entered a new phase with Houthi fighters pushing to seize strategic highlands in Yemen. The advance came a day after the New York Times reported that US President Donald Trump had called off planned American airstrikes on the group at the last minute, even as troops were said to be loading bombs onto aircraft. The report, if accurate, marks the second time Trump has pulled back from direct military engagement with the Houthis, after a two-month bombing campaign in early 2025 that ended in a ceasefire. 

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had made fresh pleas to Washington for direct military support against the Houthis, requests the US has so far rebuffed even as Riyadh was struck for the first time since the escalation began over the weekend, with explosions heard and smoke visible near the airport. Rashid al-Alimi, the Riyadh-based president of Yemen’s Saudi-backed government, separately asked Trump by phone on Sunday for US military help, though two sources familiar with the call said Trump made no direct pledge of support. 

Sensex & Nifty 

Trading in Gift Nifty had pointed to a muted start to Tuesday’s session, but early cash-market deals turned firmer, with the Sensex up 69.59 points, or 0.09 per cent, to 74,928.58, while the Nifty added 36.80 points, or 0.16 per cent, to 23,451.10 as of 9.24 am. 

Gainers & Losers 

Among individual stocks, Coal India (COALINDIA) led the gainers on the Nifty, rising 2.04 per cent to a last traded price of Rs 423.15 against a previous close of Rs 414.70. Adani Enterprises (ADANIENT) climbed 1.1 per cent to Rs 3,007.70 from a previous close of Rs 2,975, while InterGlobe Aviation (INDIGO) advanced 0.89 per cent to Rs 4,985 versus its prior close of Rs 4,941. Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (ADANIPORTS) gained 0.83 per cent to trade at Rs 1,802 compared with a previous close of Rs 1,787.10, and HDFC Bank (HDFCBANK) rose 0.81 per cent to Rs 745.50 from a previous close of Rs 739.50.  

On the losing side, HCL Technologies (HCLTECH) fell the most among Nifty constituents, down 2.44 per cent to Rs 1,249.80 against a previous close of Rs 1,281. Tech Mahindra (TECHM) declined 1.43 per cent to Rs 1,536.20 from a previous close of Rs 1,558.50, while Infosys (INFY) slipped 0.78 per cent to Rs 1,030.40 versus a prior close of Rs 1,038.50. Max Healthcare Institute (MAXHEALTH) shed 0.69 per cent to Rs 1,059.20 from a previous close of Rs 1,066.60, and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) lost 0.59 per cent to trade at Rs 2,116.10 compared with a previous close of Rs 2,128.70. 

Broad Market & Sectoral Indices 

Among broader market gauges, the Nifty Microcap 250 led the gainers, rising 0.73 per cent, followed by the Nifty Smallcap 500, up 0.50 per cent, and the Nifty Smallcap 100, higher by 0.38 per cent. On the other side, a handful of factor-based indices lagged, with the Nifty50 Shariah down 0.43 per cent, the Nifty Shariah 25 falling 0.34 per cent, and the Nifty Top 10 Equal Weight index slipping 0.08 per cent. Among sectoral indices, the Nifty Realty index led the pack with a gain of 0.94 per cent, followed by the Nifty Auto index, up 0.36 per cent, and the Nifty Metal index, higher by 0.30 per cent. The Nifty IT index was the biggest sectoral laggard, down 1.13 per cent, while the Nifty FMCG index and the Nifty Pharma index both eased a marginal 0.05 per cent and 0.02 per cent respectively. 

Asian & US Markets 

Asian markets extended their gains on Tuesday, led by South Korea’s Kospi, up 1.76 per cent, and Japan’s Nikkei, which held a 1.38 per cent advance. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng and Taiwan’s benchmark were also firmer, up 0.65 per cent and 1.06 per cent respectively, while mainland China’s Shanghai Composite and Shenzhen Component added 0.3 per cent and 0.89 per cent. 

US markets closed Monday’s session upbeat, with the Nasdaq 100 surging 2.83 per cent even as the broader NYSE Composite added a steadier 0.37 per cent. The small-cap Russell 2000 rose 0.52 per cent, even as utility stocks and the Dow Jones Transportation Average slipped 0.7 per cent and 0.54 per cent respectively. 

Oil Prices 

Crude oil prices climbed on Tuesday, with WTI crude up 0.76 per cent at $93.07 a barrel and Brent crude rising 1.00 per cent to $101.34. Murban crude, the key Gulf benchmark, bucked the broader trend and tumbled 6.70 per cent to $110.02, as Saudi Arabia’s surging use of the Strait of Hormuz as an alternative export route helped cap the wider crude complex. The Opec Basket fell 2.49 per cent to $116.23, even as diesel prices in the United States hit a fresh record on Monday. 

Iran War 

The Middle East conflict entered a new phase on Monday as Houthi fighters pushed to seize the Kahboub Mountains in Yemen’s Taiz and Lahij provinces, aiming to cut off the Red Sea coast from remaining government-held areas in the south, according to five Yemeni military sources cited by Reuters. Saudi Arabia has launched hundreds of strikes on the fighters’ highland positions in recent days, even as the United Nations reported nearly 700 people killed and more than 130,000 Yemenis displaced within the country, with more than 3,000 having fled by boat across the Red Sea to Africa. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Britain had agreed to provide defensive air-to-air refuelling support to Saudi Arabia for a limited time, describing the move as helping stabilise the wider region, while a French diplomatic source said Paris was ready to help secure Saudi energy infrastructure at Yanbu and the East-West pipeline corridor. Diplomacy over the wider Iran conflict has remained stalled since a June interim ceasefire between Washington and Tehran collapsed within weeks, with Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian due to fly to New York on Tuesday to attend the UN General Assembly even as the Houthis’ advance risks cutting off the main alternative route Saudi Arabia has used for oil exports that bypass the Strait of Hormuz. 

Indian Markets on Monday 

Indian equity benchmarks had ended Monday’s session sharply higher, snapping six consecutive weeks of declines, their longest losing streak in six years, with the Sensex gaining 564.03 points, or 0.76 per cent, to close at 74,858.99, while the Nifty rose 67.90 points, or 0.29 per cent, to 23,414.30. The recovery was led by pharma and realty, with the Nifty Pharma index up 1.16 per cent and Nifty Realty advancing 1.14 per cent, even as the Nifty Metal index fell 0.6 per cent and Bharti Airtel dropped 3.3 per cent to lead Nifty losers, followed by Adani Ports, Bajaj Finance and Adani Enterprises. Market breadth stayed negative on Monday, with 1,995 shares advancing against 2,111 declines, and the Nifty Midcap 100 and Smallcap 100 slipping 0.29 per cent and 0.07 per cent respectively, even as the headline indices rallied on the back of bargain buying following last week’s extended selloff. Foreign investors had bought Indian equities worth Rs 600 crore on Friday, ending six straight sessions of net selling, even though they remained significant net sellers for the month of September overall, while the $2.3-billion NSE IPO closed for subscription on Monday, continuing to absorb liquidity from the secondary market. 

Source

•  NSE
• BSE
• Reuters
• CNN
• Fox News
• OilPrice.com
• CNBC
• Figures as of press time and subject to revision.
• https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/houthis-push-control-yemen-highlands-trump-reported-have-called-off-airstrikes-2026-09-21/
• https://www.cnbc.com/markets/us-markets/
• https://oilprice.com/oil-price-charts/