Stock Market Open Report, July 14, 2026: Markets Open with Cautious Mode; Sensex Drops 265 points; Nifty 70 points Down

Mumbai, July 14: Indian equity benchmarks opened lower on Tuesday, extending the previous session’s cautious mood, as an escalating military conflict between the United States and Iran in the Strait of Hormuz, a sharp spike in crude oil prices, mixed cues from Asian markets, and a weak overnight session on Wall Street combined to weigh on sentiment.  

The BSE Sensex was trading at 77,350.95, down 265.45 points, or 0.34 per cent, while the NSE Nifty50 slipped 70.75 points, or 0.29 per cent, to 24,140.25, as of 9:26 am IST. The decline came even as domestic fundamentals remained largely unchanged, underscoring how closely Indian markets are tracking the fast-moving developments in West Asia.   

The primary driver behind the cautious start remains the rapidly escalating war between the US and Iran. The US military carried out a third consecutive night of strikes against Iran on Monday, even as President Donald Trump announced the reinstatement of a naval blockade on Iranian shipping and proposed a 20 per cent fee to guard the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian cruise missiles struck two UAE oil tankers transiting the strait, killing one Indian crew member and wounding eight others, while Tehran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed to have disabled two “offending” supertankers that had ignored repeated warnings. 

Gainers and Losers 

Among individual stocks, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) led gainers on the Nifty50, rising 1.79 per cent to an LTP of Rs 2,220.50 from its previous close of Rs 2,181.50, followed by Nestle India (NESTLEIND), up 1.26 per cent to Rs 1,445 versus a prior close of Rs 1,427. Max Healthcare (MAXHEALTH) gained 0.95 per cent to Rs 1,116.70 from Rs 1,106.20, Wipro (WIPRO) also rose 0.95 per cent to Rs 180.13 against a previous close of Rs 178.43, and Tech Mahindra (TECHM) advanced 0.94 per cent to Rs 1,518.70 from Rs 1,504.50. 

On the losing side, Shriram Finance (SHRIRAMFIN) was the top drag, falling 2.47 per cent to Rs 1,022.20 from a previous close of Rs 1,048.10, while IndiGo-parent InterGlobe Aviation (INDIGO) slipped 2.33 per cent to Rs 5,107.50 versus Rs 5,229.50 earlier. Bajaj Finance (BAJFINANCE) declined 1.90 per cent to Rs 1,003.20 from Rs 1,022.60, UltraTech Cement (ULTRACEMCO) dropped 1.82 per cent to Rs 11,360 from Rs 11,571, and Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) fell 1.53 per cent to Rs 3,112.10 against a previous close of Rs 3,160.40. 

Broad Market and Sectoral Indices 

Among broad market indices, weakness was widespread, with the Nifty Microcap 250 down 0.59 per cent, the Nifty Smallcap 50 falling 0.52 per cent, and the Nifty Next 50 and Nifty Smallcap 500 both slipping 0.49 per cent, leaving no major broad-market gauge in positive territory. On the sectoral front, the mood was more mixed: Nifty IT rose 0.65 per cent, Nifty Healthcare Index gained 0.62 per cent, and Nifty Pharma advanced 0.57 per cent, even as Nifty India Defence dropped 1.08 per cent, Nifty Financial Services Ex-Bank fell 1.01 per cent, and Nifty Auto declined 0.91 per cent. 

Middle East Conflict 

The war between the US and Iran escalated further as the US military carried out a third consecutive night of air strikes against Iranian targets. President Donald Trump announced that Washington was reinstating a naval blockade of Iranian shipping and proposed charging a 20 per cent fee to guard the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian cruise missiles struck two UAE oil tankers in the strait, killing one Indian crew member and wounding eight others, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed to have disabled two tankers that ignored warnings to turn back. Explosions were reported in Bandar Abbas and on Kish and Qeshm islands, and Iran’s army said it targeted a US vessel with cruise missiles and struck American facilities in Kuwait with drones. Tehran has vowed to remain the guardian of the strait “forever,” rejecting any US role in policing the waterway and warning of a global energy crisis if the standoff continues. 

Asian Markets 

Asian markets were trading mixed on Tuesday morning as investors assessed the fallout from the Iran conflict. Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.84 per cent and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng slipped 0.10 per cent, while Pakistan’s KSE 100 dropped 1.27 per cent and China’s Shanghai Composite eased 0.19 per cent. In contrast, Malaysia’s KLCI rose 0.94 per cent and Indonesia’s Jakarta Composite gained 1.92 per cent, underscoring the divergent reaction across the region. 

US Markets 

US markets closed sharply lower on Monday as the escalating Iran-US conflict weighed on investor sentiment. The Nasdaq Composite fell 1.55 per cent to 25,873.18 and the S&P 500 declined 0.79 per cent to 7,515.34, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.26 per cent to 52,498.64. The sell-off was concentrated in growth and technology stocks, with the broader NYSE Composite also ending marginally lower. 

Oil Prices 

Oil prices extended their rally on Tuesday, with Brent crude climbing 2 per cent to $84.98 a barrel and WTI rising 2.1 per cent to $79.79 a barrel in early trade. The move follows a 9.6 per cent surge in Brent on Monday, its biggest single-day gain since May 2020. Crude is now at its highest level since a ceasefire memorandum between the US, Israel and Iran was signed on June 17. Analysts said the reinstated US blockade and Iranian retaliation have injected fresh uncertainty into the supply outlook, even as a full closure of the Strait of Hormuz has not materialised. 

Sensex, Nifty — Monday’s Close 

The Sensex and Nifty ended little changed on Monday after a volatile session, with a sharp rally in IT stocks offsetting weakness in metals, FMCG and infrastructure shares. The BSE Sensex closed up 47.01 points, or 0.06 per cent, at 77,616.40, while the Nifty50 gained 4.10 points, or 0.02 per cent, to settle at 24,211. Market breadth remained positive, with 2,207 stocks advancing against 2,006 declines, while 174 shares were unchanged 

Source

• nseindia.com
• bseindia.com