10 August,2026 04:41 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Representational Image. Pic: Pexels
Domestic benchmark indices ended marginally higher on Monday, as investors turned cautious amid rising crude oil prices due to geopolitical uncertainties.
The 30-share BSE Sensex inched up 43.27 points, or 0.06 per cent, to settle at 78,542.44. The 50-share NSE Nifty edged up 13.15 points, or 0.05 per cent, to end at 24,583.80.
On Friday, the Sensex declined 455.59 points, or 0.58 per cent, to settle at 78,499.17. The Nifty lost 65.35 points, or 0.27 per cent, to end at 24,570.65.
"Today, the benchmark indices continued their range-bound movement. The Nifty ended 13 points higher, while the Sensex was up by 43 points. Among sectors, the Capital Market and Realty indices rallied over 1 percent, whereas PSU Banks and Defense indices shed over 1 percent. Technically, after a muted open, the market hovered throughout the day between 24,500/78,300 and 24,650/78,700 price ranges," Shrikant Chouhan, Head Equity Research, Kotak Securities said.
According to Bajaj Broking Research, for the third consecutive trading session, Indian benchmark indices remained locked in a consolidation phase, trading within a narrow range, reflecting the uncertainty among market participants.
From the Sensex pack, Titan, Bajaj Finance, Bajaj Finserv, Tata Steel, Asian Paints, and Infosys were among the major gainers, while State Bank of India, Eternal, NTPC, ITC, and Tata Consultancy Services were among the laggards.
"The rupee weakened (Rs 95.2 against US dollar), and Brent crude rose 1 per cent to USD 84 per barrel amid continued West Asia tensions and a stronger US dollar. Hopes of reopening of the Strait of Hormuz were tempered after Iran said reopening the key oil route is conditional on the US meeting several demands, including lifting sanctions and the naval blockade, keeping crude prices elevated and posing risks to India's inflation, rupee and current account outlook," Siddhartha Khemka Head of Research, Wealth Management, Motilal Oswal Financial Services said.
According to news agency PTI, Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, jumped 1.10 per cent to USD 84.47 per barrel.
"Markets remained on a tight leash as uncertainty surrounding the Strait of Hormuz continued to temper risk appetite, even as encouraging corporate earnings lent support to broader sentiment. Globally, softer-than-expected US jobs data weakened the case for Fed tightening, shifting investor focus to upcoming US inflation readings for fresh direction on rates and bond yields," Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments said.
"A softer yield environment could revive interest in emerging markets and pave the way for stronger FII participation. Amid these global crosscurrents, India's robust domestic growth engines and resilient economic fundamentals continue to stand out, providing a strong anchor for investor confidence," he added.
Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) bought equities worth Rs 480.24 crore on Friday, as per PTI.
In Asian markets, South Korea's KOSPI, Japan's Nikkei 225 index, Shanghai's SSE Composite index and Hong Kong's Hang Seng index all traded in positive territory.
(With inputs from PTI)
