Pre-Market Report: Flat to Cautious Start Expected as GIFT Nifty Signals Muted Sentiment — August 13, 2026

Global Market Cues

• Wall Street ended mostly higher on Wednesday as a tame U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) report for July (0.1% MoM) eased fears of further interest rate hikes. The S&P 500 rose 0.26%, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.54%, fueled by a massive rally in AI infrastructure stocks like Super Micro and CoreWeave, which both surged 19%.

• Asian markets are trading on a strong note this morning, led by South Korea's Kospi, which jumped over 4% following the global tech rebound. Japan's Nikkei 225 also advanced 1.5%.

• Commodity markets are showing mixed signals; Brent crude prices have eased slightly but remain elevated near $88 per barrel due to ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and uncertainty over the Strait of Hormuz.

GIFT Nifty and Domestic Cues

• The GIFT Nifty is currently trading at a discount of approximately 25 to 50 points compared to the Nifty 50's previous close, suggesting a cautious start for the domestic benchmarks.

• On the domestic front, India's July CPI inflation rose to 4.45%, which is within the RBI's tolerance band but stays above the medium-term target of 4%. Food inflation was recorded at 5.52%, which may keep rate-sensitive sectors under pressure.

• Institutional activity showed marginal support in the previous session, with Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) being net buyers of ₹286 crore, while Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) bought shares worth ₹25 crore.

Key Stocks in Focus

• Apollo Hospitals: The healthcare major reported a robust Q1 FY27 performance with a 34% YoY jump in net profit to ₹581 crore, beating market estimates.

• Tata Motors: The company reported a consolidated net profit surge of 83% YoY to ₹2,556 crore for the June quarter, supported by strong revenue growth.

• UltraTech Cement: Shares will be in focus as Pilani Investment and Industries is reportedly set to sell 1.7 million shares through a block deal today.

• MSCI Index Rejig: Adani Energy Solutions, Lenskart Solutions, and Laurus Labs have been added to the MSCI India Standard Index. Conversely, Astral, Balkrishna Industries, and SBI Cards are slated for exclusion.

• Tata Group Stocks: Investors will closely monitor stocks like TCS and Tata Motors following news regarding leadership transitions within Tata Sons.

Key Events to Watch Today

• The U.S. Producer Price Index (PPI) for July and weekly initial jobless claims will be released later today, providing further clarity on the Fed's rate path.

• The U.K. will report its preliminary Q2 GDP growth and industrial production data, which could impact global currency and equity sentiment.

• Domestic earnings momentum continues with companies like JSW Cement, Page Industries, Honasa Consumer (Mamaearth), and Max Financial Services scheduled to report their Q1 results today.

TAGS: Pre-Market, Stock Market, Nifty, Sensex, Market Update

Tags: Pre-Market Stock Market Nifty Sensex Market Update