GIFT NIFTY EDGED HIGHER, ASIAN MARKETS TRADED SLIGHTLY HIGHER

Local stock markets are poised for a steady start today. The Gift Nifty April 2026 futures are modestly higher by 0.14 points, pointing to a green start for the benchmark index today. The domestic equity market finished marginally higher in last session, with BSE Sensex and Nifty 50 marginally higher.The BSE Sensex has edged lower 0.22% over the last one month, while the NSE Nifty has eased 0.03% over the same period. In Asia today, sentiment was cautiously positive. China’s SSE Composite Index moved higher 0.03% while Japan’s Nikkei 225 eased 0.31%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index inched higher 0.70%. Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares worth Rs 583 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net buyers to the tune of Rs 3,537 crore in the Indian equity market on 20 August 2026, provisional data showed. Overnight on Wall Street, stocks slipped across the board. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down by 703.84 points, or 1.32%, and closed at 52780.21. The S&P 500 posted modest losses of 0.85% to end at 7663.21, and the NASDAQ Composite drifted lower 1.02% to 26083.48. Yesterday, the S&P BSE Sensex ended slightly higher 628.04 points or 0.82% to 77537.72. The Nifty 50 index posted modest gains of 153.55 points or 0.64% to 24231.85. Eternal Ltd was top gainer in Nifty 50 yesterday, moving higher by 2.48% to Rs 327.95. The stock has edged up around 1.43% in last one-week and stands lower 10.47% over last one-month. In sectoral indices, only Nifty Media index edged up yesterday, adding 2.13% on the day.