Stock Market Open Today, August 24, 2026: Sensex, Nifty Get Higher Open Amid Iran Oil Export Threat

Mumbai, August 24: Indian equity benchmarks opened higher on Monday, tracking a strong close on Wall Street and a pullback in crude oil prices, even as most Asian peers traded in a mixed-to-cautious mood. The domestic bias comes despite Washington escalating its economic pressure campaign against Iran, with the US vowing an “economic D-Day” of unprecedented sanctions even as Tehran threatens to halt all Gulf oil exports in retaliation.

Wall Street’s near 1 per cent Dow rally on Friday, paired with easing crude prices, has historically provided a constructive setup for Indian markets at the opening bell, and Monday’s early trade reflected exactly that. The softer oil complex offers a measure of relief on the inflation front for a market that spent last week grappling with elevated crude and bond-market volatility. 

The one caveat comes from geopolitics. Bessent’s sanctions threat, and Iran’s counter-threat to choke off Gulf oil exports entirely, injects fresh uncertainty into a conflict that has already run six months without resolution, keeping Indian markets alert to any escalation even as they open on a firmer note. 

The BSE Sensex was trading at 77,650.09, up 109.26 points, or 0.14 per cent, at 9:32 am. The Nifty 50 was at 24,277.20, up 25.20 points, or 0.1 per cent, at the same time. Both benchmarks extended Friday’s marginal gains into a firmer start, continuing the stabilisation seen since the market snapped its seven-session losing streak last Thursday. 

Gainers & Losers 

Among Nifty gainers, Infosys (INFY) rose 1.56 per cent to an LTP of Rs 1,138.5 from a previous close of Rs 1,121. Hindalco Industries (HINDALCO) climbed 1.44 per cent to Rs 1,048.85 versus Rs 1,034, while HCL Technologies (HCLTECH) added 1.08 per cent to Rs 1,316.6 from Rs 1,302.5. Tata Steel (TATASTEEL) gained 0.72 per cent to Rs 184.31 against Rs 183, and HDFC Bank (HDFCBANK) advanced 0.70 per cent to Rs 732.05 from Rs 726.95.  

Among losers, Cipla (CIPLA) fell 1.09 per cent to Rs 1,416.6 from Rs 1,432.2, Grasim Industries (GRASIM) dropped 0.70 per cent to Rs 3,285 versus Rs 3,308, and Apollo Hospitals (APOLLOHOSP) declined 0.56 per cent to Rs 8,644 from Rs 8,693. Bharat Electronics (BEL) eased 0.53 per cent to Rs 411.8 against Rs 414, and Titan Company (TITAN) slipped 0.51 per cent to Rs 5,060.3 from Rs 5,086.1. 

Broad Market & Sectoral Indices 

Among broad market indices, the Nifty Smallcap 100 led gainers with a 0.47 per cent rise, the Nifty Midcap 100 added 0.28 per cent and the Nifty 500 gained 0.22 per cent, while the Nifty Next 50 slipped 0.01 per cent, the Nifty Alpha Quality Low-Volatility 30 fell 0.15 per cent and the Nifty Alpha Low-Volatility 30 eased 0.10 per cent.  

Sectorally, the Nifty IT index outperformed with a 0.93 per cent gain, followed by the Nifty Metal index, up 0.78 per cent, and the Nifty Oil & Gas index, up 0.50 per cent, even as the Nifty Consumer Durables index fell 0.59 per cent, the Nifty Pharma index dropped 0.51 per cent and the Nifty Healthcare index eased 0.42 per cent. 

Wall Street 

Wall Street closed sharply higher on Friday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average jumping 517.80 points, or 0.98 per cent, to 53,277.01. The Nasdaq Composite added 113.29 points, or 0.43 per cent, to 26,180.46, while the S&P 500 rose 33.21 points, or 0.43 per cent, to 7,674.37. The NYSE Composite and Canada’s S&P/TSX index also ended firmly in positive territory, rounding off a broadly constructive session across US indices. 

Asian Markets 

Asian markets traded in a mixed fashion on Monday morning, with Australia’s S&P ASX All Ordinaries up 0.65 per cent and Vietnam’s HNX 30 surging 3.44 per cent to lead regional gains. Indonesia’s JSX Composite and Pakistan’s KSE 100 also advanced, while Malaysia’s FTSE Bursa KLCI slipped marginally. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was the standout laggard, tumbling 1.93 per cent, even as Japan’s Nikkei and Shanghai’s SE Composite posted only modest declines. 

Iran War Updates 

The Iran conflict escalated sharply over the weekend after Bessent wrote in the Financial Times that Monday would mark an “economic D-Day,” describing it as the greatest financial offensive ever marshalled against an adversary. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council secretary, Mohsen Rezaei, warned that if the economic war continued, not a single drop of oil would be exported through the Strait of Hormuz or anywhere in the Persian Gulf. China’s embassy in Washington pushed back on the sanctions push, calling instead for diplomacy, even as Bessent urged Beijing to cooperate given its heavy reliance on Gulf energy. Pakistan’s army chief, Asim Munir, is set to visit Tehran on Monday as part of continuing mediation efforts. The two sides have not conducted direct military strikes for weeks, but have also failed to hold meaningful talks to end the six-month-old conflict. 

Oil Prices 

Oil prices eased noticeably in early Monday trade, with WTI crude down 1.59 per cent at $85.68 a barrel and Brent crude off 1.40 per cent at $93.07 a barrel. Gasoline and heating oil also declined, falling 1.66 per cent and 1.83 per cent, respectively, even as the broader crude complex stayed under pressure. Murban crude bucked the trend, rising 2.39 per cent, underscoring the uneven nature of the pullback across benchmarks. The softer prices came even as Iran’s threat to halt Gulf oil exports entirely kept the underlying supply-risk premium elevated. 

Indian Markets on Friday Close  

Indian benchmarks ended largely flat on Friday, with the Sensex inching up just 3.11 points to 77,540.83 and the Nifty 50 gaining 20.15 points, or 0.08 per cent, to 24,252.00. The session was volatile and rangebound, with buying in metal and realty stocks offsetting selling across IT, FMCG, auto, media and pharma shares. Welspun Corp was the standout individual mover, surging 15.3 per cent after securing a record $1.8 billion supply order, while Power Grid Corporation, Nestle India and Kotak Mahindra Bank led the broader gainers. For the week, both the Sensex and Nifty ended lower, down 0.6 per cent and 0.5 per cent, respectively, as elevated crude prices and a bond-market selloff weighed on sentiment.