Post Market, 20 April 2026: Markets End With Marginal Gains Amid Global Tensions

Markets ended slightly higher on Monday. They managed to hold up despite rising global tensions. It was not a strong session, though, with some back-and-forth and gains staying quite limited.

Even with higher oil prices and renewed concerns around the Middle East, markets managed to stay in the green, helped by some stability in domestic cues.

Closing Bell

Sensex went up by 26.76 points to close at 78,520.30. Nifty 50 gained about 11.30 points to settle at 24,364.85.

Broader Markets

There was some pressure in the broader market as well. Midcaps slipped around 0.2%, while smallcaps fell about 0.4%.

Sector-wise, IT, telecom and realty stocks saw some weakness. Each of them declined around 0.5%. On the other hand, auto, oil & gas, media, power, energy and PSU bank stocks ended higher, gaining in the 0.3–1% range.

What Moved The Markets Today?

Global cues remained mixed through the session. Asian markets traded unevenly, while US stock futures were under pressure amid uncertainty around US-Iran peace talks.

Over the weekend, tensions escalated after the US seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship near the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran indicating possible retaliation. That brought back concerns around the region.

Crude oil reacted sharply to this. Brent crude rose over 6% to around $95.89 per barrel, reflecting renewed worries around supply disruptions.

Even so, domestic markets held up. The rupee opened slightly stronger at ₹92.83 and has been recovering from recent lows. The RBI’s measures towards easing dollar demand have added some stability.

Foreign flows also remained supportive. Foreign institutional investors were net buyers, bringing in around ₹683 crore in the previous session.

At the same time, volatility stayed under control. India VIX was around 18.79, indicating that markets are not overly unsettled.

Commodities Watch: Gold And Silver

Gold and silver started the session on a weaker note on Monday, tracking global cues and continued pressure on prices.

In early trade (around 09:08 IST), gold futures on MCX slipped 0.92% to ₹1,53,186 per 10 grams, while silver declined 1.38% to ₹2,53,581 per kg.

By midday (around 12:27 IST), gold was at ₹1,53,367 per 10 grams, while silver traded at ₹2,52,272 per kg.

Later in the session (around 15:00 IST), both metals continued to stay under pressure. Gold was down 0.85% at ₹1,53,301 per 10 grams, while silver declined 2.13% to ₹2,51,654 per kg.

Precious metals remained on the weaker side through the day. The moves were gradual, but there was no meaningful recovery, suggesting a slightly soft tone overall.

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What Should Investors Watch Next?

The gains today were quite narrow. Markets did hold up, but there was not much on the upside, and a few sectors still saw some pressure.

This suggests that while domestic cues are offering some support, sentiment is not fully comfortable yet.

From here, it really comes down to how the situation in the Middle East plays out. Any fresh updates could continue to move markets in the near term.

Sources:

Moneycontrol

Livemint