Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty closed lower on Tuesday (July 21, 2026), dragged by selling in HDFC Bank for the second day alongside risk-off sentiment amid escalating West Asia crisis.

Falling for the second day, the 30-share BSE Sensex declined 238.41 points, or 0.31%, to settle at 77,470.11 with nine of its constituents closing lower and 21 with gains. During the day, it dropped 371.19 points, or 0.47%, to 77,337.33.

The 50-share NSE Nifty dropped by 50.80 points, or 0.21%, to end at 24,187.70.

Escalating U.S.-Iran conflict, uptick in crude oil prices and persistent foreign fund outflows reinforced a risk-off sentiment in stock markets, experts said.

From the Sensex pack, HDFC Bank declined for the second day, down 2%, after the lender’s quarterly earnings disappointed on the margin front.

Among others, Reliance Industries dropped 1.48%, State Bank of India by 1.48%, Tata Consultancy Services by 1.32%, Infosys by 1.24% and Trent by 1.1%.

On the other hand, Bajaj Finserv emerged as the biggest gainer, rising by 2.07%. InterGlobe Aviation, UltraTech Cement, HCL Tech, Mahindra & Mahindra and Titan were also among the winners.

“Indian equity markets ended lower as investors remained risk-averse amid escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. On the domestic front, losses in Banking & Financials, driven by HDFC Bank’s post-earnings decline, outweighed stock-specific gains elsewhere, weighing on the benchmark indices,” Ponmudi R., CEO of Enrich Money, an online trading and wealth tech firm, said.

Among sectors, PSU Bank declined by 0.82%, followed by Focused IT (0.68%), IT (0.66%), Top 10 Banks (0.52%), Energy (0.44%) and Financial Services (0.22%). Among gainers, MidSmall Private Banks Quality Tilt surged 2.94%, Realty jumped 1.08%, Commodities (0.98%), Telecommunication (0.97%), Auto (0.88%) and Services (0.45%).

Broader markets maintained their positive bias, with the BSE MidCap Select index going up by 0.20% and the SmallCap Select index edging higher by 0.16%.

“Despite geopolitical challenges, midcaps are performing well in anticipation of strong corporate earnings, supported by demand-led business updates,” Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments Limited, said.

“Investor sentiment improved following better-than-expected quarterly earnings from select large-cap companies, which helped offset concerns arising from weakness in the private banking space. However, renewed geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, elevated crude oil prices, and continued uncertainty over the global interest rate outlook kept participants cautious,” Ajit Mishra – SVP, Research, Religare Broking Ltd, said.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth ₹1,121.04 crore on Monday (July 20, 2026), according to exchange data.

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, climbed 0.66% to $90.03 per barrel.

In Asian markets, South Korea’s KOSPI rebounded by 3.56%, Japan’s Nikkei 225 climbed 3.26% and Shanghai’s SSE Composite index went up by 1.79%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index ended marginally lower.

Markets in Europe were trading higher. U.S. markets ended lower on Monday (July 20, 2026).

On Monday (July 20, 2026), the Sensex declined 442.93 points, or 0.57%, to settle at 77,708.52. The Nifty edged lower by 95.80 points, or 0.39%, to end at 24,238.50.

Published – July 21, 2026 06:13 pm IST

Benchmark equity indices Sensex and Nifty rebounded sharply by around 1% on Wednesday (June 24, 2026), propelled by softening crude oil prices and hectic buying in bank, financial and IT shares.

Besides, growing expectations of an India-U.S. trade deal and foreign funds turning net buyers in the domestic market supported the firm trend in equities, traders said.

The 30-share BSE Sensex jumped 790.54 points, or 1.04%, to settle at 76,991.22. During the day, it surged 989.69 points, or 1.29%, to 77,190.37.

A total of 2,215 stocks advanced, while 2,034 declined and 181 remained unchanged on the BSE.

The 50-share NSE Nifty climbed 197.55 points, or 0.83%, to end at 24,021.65.

“Domestic equities ended higher, supported by positive Asian cues and a sharp drop in crude prices following improved traffic at the Strait of Hormuz, alongside growing expectations of an imminent India-U.S. trade deal,” Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments Limited, said.

From the Sensex pack, InterGlobe Aviation, Trent, Tech Mahindra, Bajaj Finance, ICICI Bank, Infosys, HDFC Bank and Tata Consultancy Services were among the major winners.

In contrast, NTPC, Tata Steel, Maruti and Bharat Electronics were among the laggards.

The BSE SmallCap Select index edged higher by 0.44%, and the MidCap Select index went up by 0.32%.

Sectorally, the BSE Private Banks index climbed 2.21%, Realty (2.17%), Services (2.14%), IT (1.81%), Bankex (1.78%), Focused IT (1.68%) and MidSmall Private Banks Quality Tilt (1.64%).

Industrials, Telecommunication, Utilities (0.79%), and Power were among the laggards.

“The surge came on the back of falling prices of crude oil amidst relief about the situation between the USA and Iran, as well as the possibility of uninterrupted energy flow through the Strait of Hormuz. Favourable international factors, foreign institutional investors’ purchases, strength in bank stocks, and IT companies were other positive factors for the market,” Vikram Kasat, Head Advisory, PL Capital, said.

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, dropped 1.69% to $75.78 per barrel.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) bought equities worth ₹17.86 crore on Tuesday (June 23, 2026), according to exchange data.

A senior U.S. official has said that the United States and India are “very, very close” to concluding a historic bilateral trade deal that will open the 1.4 billion-strong Indian market to American goods on reciprocal and mutually beneficial terms.

“Indian equity markets rebounded sharply from the previous session’s sell-off, led by strong gains in banking stocks and a recovery in the IT sector. Sentiment improved as easing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, and a further decline in crude oil prices helped restore risk appetite and support broader market participation,” Ponmudi R., CEO of Enrich Money, an online trading and wealth tech firm, said.

In Asian markets, South Korea’s Kospi climbed over 3% after a steep decline in the previous trading session. Shanghai’s SSE Composite index and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index also settled higher, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 index ended lower.

Markets in Europe were trading on a mixed note.

U.S. markets ended sharply lower on Tuesday (June 23, 2026). The Nasdaq Composite tumbled 2.21%, and the S&P 500 dropped 1.44%.

On Tuesday (June 23, 2026), the Sensex tanked 893.39 points, or 1.16%, to settle at 76,200.68. The Nifty dropped 278.80 points, or 1.16%, to end at 23,824.10.

Published – June 24, 2026 06:13 pm IST

The 30-share Bombay Stock Exchange index, Sensex and the 50-share National Stock Exchange Nifty declined during stock market closing on December 16, 2025. File
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