INDICES TRADE NEAR FLAT LINE IN EARLY TRADE; BREADTH STRONG

Published on May 26, 2026 09:36

The domestic equity indices traded with sideways in early trade on Tuesday, despite easing crude oil prices and positive developments in U.S.�Iran talks. The Nifty traded above the 24,050 mark.

Media, metal and PSU Bank shares advanced while consumer durables, FMCG and pharma shares declined.

At 09:25 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex fell 62.83 points or 0.06% to 76,421.39. The Nifty 50 index added 3.90 points or 0.02% to 24,036.95.

The broader market outperformed the frontline indices. The BSE 150 MidCap Index added 0.19% and the BSE 250 SmallCap Index jumped 0.55%.

The market breadth was strong. On the BSE, 2,041 shares rose and 956 shares fell. A total of 185 shares were unchanged.

The NSE`s India VIX, a gauge of the market`s expectation of volatility over the near term, fell 1.49% to 16.45.

Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth Rs 821.75 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net buyers to the tune of Rs 3,856.88 crore in the Indian equity market on 25 May 2026, provisional data showed.

Stocks in Spotlight:

Man Industries (India) rose 0.35%. The company reported 61.3% jump in consolidated net profit to Rs 55.04 crore on 13.4% increase in revenue from operations to Rs 830.38 crore in Q4 FY26 over Q4 FY25.

Hitachi Energy declined 1.20%. The company reported 120% surge in standalone net profit to Rs 302.19 crore on 27.7% rise in net sales to Rs 2021.31 crore in Q4 March 2026 over Q4 March 2025.

Container Corporation of India (Concor)dropped 4.94% after the company�s consolidated net profit declined 12.4% to Rs 262.65 crore in Q4 FY26 compared with Rs 299.79 crore in Q4 FY25. Net sales fell 1.1% YoY to Rs 2,263.30 crore in Q4 FY26.

Numbers to Track:

The yield on India`s 10-year benchmark federal paper advanced 0.32% to 7.041 compared with previous session close of 7.025.

In the foreign exchange market, the rupee edged lower against the dollar. The partially convertible rupee was hovering at 95.3950 compared with its close of 95.2600 during the previous trading session.

MCX Gold futures for 5 June 2026 settlement fell 0.40% to Rs 158,425.

The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the greenback`s value against a basket of currencies, was up 0.08% to 99.05.

The United States 10-year bond yield fell 1.42% to 4.508.

In the commodities market, Brent crude for July 2026 settlement tanked $5.70 or 5.51% to $97.84 a barrel.

Global Markets:

Asian markets traded mixed on Tuesday even as investor sentiment remained supported by hopes for a breakthrough in the U.S.-Iran peace talks.

President Donald Trump said Monday negotiations with Iran were �proceeding nicely,� though he warned that the U.S. could resume attacks if the talks failed.

In a sign of how tenuous the negotiations were, the U.S. Central Command said that it conducted �self-defense strikes� targeting Iranian missile launch sites and boats attempting to lay mines in the south of the Islamic Republic.

Markets in U.S. were closed on Monday on account of holiday for Memorial Day.

Last week, stocks rose on Friday as Treasury yields eased, resulting in a winning week for Wall Street despite heightened volatility.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 294.04 points, or 0.58%, to end at 50,579.70. The 30-stock index hit an intraday all-time high and posted another record close. The S&P 500 rose 0.37% to settle at 7,473.47. The Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.19%, ending at 26,343.97.