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21 August, 2026 Stock Market Updates: Sensex gains 163.35 points, Nifty near 24,300, Eternal top gainer

Indian equity benchmark indices, the Sensex and Nifty, sustained yesterday's rally and opened in the green amid mixed global cues as Brent crude approached USD 94 and US bond yields climbed again. While the 30-share BSE Sensex gained 163.35 points or 0.21 per cent to start the session at 77,701.07, the Nifty opened with a gain of 52.2 points at 24,284.05. In the last trading session, the Sensex closed at 77,537.72 and the Nifty 50 at 24,231.85. Similarly, the broader indices traded in the green in the early trading session. While the BSE Midcap Select Index was up by 55.96 points, the BSE Smallcap Select Index added 56.13 points or 0.61 per cent, to trade in the green at 9,208.82. From the Sensex pack, Eternal, Sun Pharma, Titan, Kotak Bank and BEL were the gainers, with Eternal leading the pack by gaining 0.72 per cent in the early trade. On the other hand, Infosys, TCS, Hindustan Unilever, Reliance and UltraTech Cement were among the losers, with Infosys falling over 0.52 per cent. In early trade, market breadth was positive, with 1,563 stocks advancing against 728 stocks declining on the NSE. 186 stocks remained unchanged. The near-term bias remains cautiously positive but volatile. Thursdays rebound in Indian equities offers some comfort, but weak U.S. markets, elevated Treasury yields and crude prices could restrict follow-through buying. With domestic support still present, the market may favour selective buying on dips, while geopolitical developments around Iran and the Strait of Hormuz remain key swing factors, said Hitesh Tailor, Technical Research Analyst at Choice Broking Private Limited. What did Gift Nifty indicate? Gift Nifty, an early indicator for the Nifty 50, indicated a flat to negative start today as it opened with a drop of 15 points at 24,282.50, compared to the previous close of 24,297.50. Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) turned sellers and offloaded equities worth Rs 583.36 crore on August 20, 2026. Similarly, Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) remained buyers and bought equities worth Rs 3,537.71 crore. Asian Markets Today Asian equities remained volatile on Friday after major US stock indexes suffered sharp declines as a brief reprieve in the bond market abruptly reversed. Japan's Nikkei 225 was down 266.79 points or 0.40 per cent at 65,950 at the time of writing the report. However, Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 204.51 points or 0.80 per cent. South Korea's Kospi added 59.15 points, or 0.86 per cent. ALSO READ: From late fees to foreign transactions, Axis Bank credit card rules to change from August 28 (This article is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment, financial, or other advice.)