Post-Market Report: Sensex and Nifty Extend Losing Streak as Geopolitical Tensions and Crude Prices Sour Sentiment — August 18, 2026

Market Performance Today

The Indian equity markets remained under intense pressure throughout Tuesday's session, mirroring a cautious global mood. The BSE Sensex ended the day down 492.70 points, or 0.63%, at 77,235.46. Similarly, the NSE Nifty 50 declined by 132.75 points, or 0.55%, to settle at 24,154.90. The indices opened with a gap down and struggled to recover as selling pressure intensified in heavyweight stocks, particularly within the technology space.

Top Movers (Sectors and Stocks)

Sectoral performance was largely bearish, with the IT index emerging as the primary laggard. However, selective buying in the Auto and Oil & Gas sectors provided a minor cushion to the indices.

Top Gainers:

• Axis Bank: Led the gainers list with steady buying interest.
• Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M): Gained over 1% on positive sector sentiment.
• Grasim Industries: Showed resilience amidst broader market weakness.
• ONGC: Benefited from the spike in global crude oil prices.
• Power Grid Corp: Attracted defensive buying from investors.

Top Losers:

• Infosys: The top drag on the Nifty, falling over 2% due to global tech spending concerns.
• Asian Paints: Faced selling pressure amid rising input cost fears.
• HCL Technologies: Continued its downward trajectory alongside other IT majors.
• Tech Mahindra: Witnessed significant profit booking.
• Wipro: Closed deep in the red as the IT sector faced a broad sell-off.

Key Drivers of Today's Market

Several global and domestic factors contributed to the market's downward move today:

• Surging Crude Oil Prices: Brent crude climbed above $91 per barrel after the expiration of the US-Iran memorandum, raising fears of supply disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.
• Geopolitical Tensions: Renewed threats of military action in the Middle East kept risk appetite low, pushing investors toward safe-haven assets.
• Elevated Bond Yields: The US 10-year Treasury yield rose to 4.73%, sparking concerns about continued Foreign Institutional Investor (FII) outflows from emerging markets like India.
• Weakness in the Rupee: The Indian rupee traded under pressure, hovering around the 95.6 level against the US dollar, further impacting market sentiment.
• FII Selling: Persistent net selling by foreign investors, who offloaded shares worth over ₹2,500 crore in the previous session, continued to weigh on the indices.

Broader Market Performance

The broader market reflected the caution seen in the front-line indices, though the impact was slightly more varied. The Nifty Midcap 100 index shed approximately 0.43%, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 managed to end the day relatively flat. Market breadth remained weak, with a declining ratio of roughly 2:1, as 32 of the Nifty 50 constituents ended in the red. While the IT and Realty sectors saw declines exceeding 1.5%, the Auto and Media sectors managed to post modest gains, highlighting a highly selective approach by domestic investors.

TAGS: Post-Market, Stock Market, Nifty, Sensex, Market Analysis

Tags: Post-Market Stock Market Nifty Sensex Market Analysis