Stock Market Update 21 August 2026: Sensex, Nifty 50 Trade Marginally Lower
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The Indian stock market indices traded almost flat after the market opening on Friday. While Sensex was down by just 59.58 points, Nifty 50 traded around the 24,200 mark. Sectoral indices traded in mixed directions.
The Indian benchmark indices traded only marginally lower during early trading on Friday, 21 August 2026.
At around 9:25 AM:
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The Sensex was down by just 59.58 points (0.39%) to trade at 77,478.14.
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The Nifty 50 was also down by 11.60 points (0.05%) to 24,220.25.
On Thursday, 20 August 2026, the indices snapped their long losing streak and ended in the green. At the closing bell, the Sensex stood at 77,537.72, up 0.82%. The Nifty 50 stood at 24,231.85, up 0.64%.
How Are Other Indices Performing?
Not just the Sensex and the Nifty 50, but other broader Indian indices were also trading almost flat during Friday morning.
At around 9:25 AM, Bank Nifty was up by just 14.55 points (0.03%) to trade at 57,510.45. The Nifty Financial Services index was up by around 2.05 points (0.01%) to trade at 26,205.95.
Among the sectoral indices, Nifty Auto lost 0.47%, Nifty IT lost 0.72%, Nifty FMCG lost 0.57% and Nifty PSU Bank lost 0.21%. On the other hand, Nifty Realty gained 0.46%, Nifty Metal gained 0.47% and Nifty Private Bank gained 0.15%.
Top Gainers And Losers
During early trading on Friday, about 1,520 shares were trading in the green, 820 shares were in the red, and 182 shares remained unchanged.
The top gainers on the Nifty included Kotak Mahindra Bank, Eicher Motors, M&M, Eternal and Sun Pharma.
The top losers were JSW Steel, Grasim, TCS, Infosys and HDFC Life.
Factors Impacting The Markets
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Middle East Scenario: Clarity on the war between the US and Iran in the Middle East is yet to emerge. Investors continue to trade cautiously.
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Oil Prices: Global crude oil prices remained unchanged on Friday as the US-Iran conflict continues to disrupt supplies.
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Rupee Movement: The Indian National Rupee (INR) opened almost unchanged at 95.6575 per US dollar on Friday. The previous close was at 95.7050 per US dollar.
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US Bond Yield: US bond yields fell sharply yesterday, which was the single biggest reason global markets rallied. However, bond yields started climbing again on Friday.
Investor Takeaway
Yesterday, Indian stock market indices snapped their 12-day losing streak and rose sharply. However, the momentum failed to sustain as oil prices remained high and US bond yields started climbing again. Investors must keep a close eye on geopolitical developments before taking major positions.
Also Read - RBI VRRR Auctions Attract ₹1.91 Lakh Crore Bids
This article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice from Kotak Neo. For compliance T&C and disclaimers, Visit www.kotakneo.com/disclaimer
Vishwa has spent 10+ years across fintech and FMCG doing what most people miss, connecting the dots, catching trends before they trend, and finding the angle nobody else thought to ask about.
At Kotak Neo, she drives content strategy for neoshorts, Kotak News Desk, and Investing Guide, turning market noise into something worth reading.
When she's not decoding markets, she trades charts for canvases, chasing art, painting, and architecture across cities she's yet to explore.
