18 September, 2026 Stock Market Updates: Sensex jumps 260 points, Nifty above 23,300, TCS falls 3.34%

Indian equity benchmark indices, the Sensex and Nifty, started the trading session on a positive note amid strong global cues as crude slid on reports that Saudi Arabia could route additional supply to the market through alternative export channels. While the 30-share BSE Sensex jumped 260.65 points or 0.35 per cent to start the session at 74,575.24, the Nifty opened with a gain of 64.10 points at 23,334.70. In the last trading session, the Sensex closed at 74,314.59 and the Nifty 50 at 23,270.60. Similarly, the broader indices traded in the green in the early trading session. While the BSE Midcap Select Index was up by 50.40 points, the BSE Smallcap Select Index added 5.70 points or 0.06 per cent, to trade in the green at 9,083.77.

From the Sensex pack, L&T, Indigo, Eternal, Bharti Airtel and Asian Paints were the gainers, with L&T leading the pack by gaining 1.17 per cent in the early trade. On the other hand, TCS, Infosys, Tech Mahindra, HCL Tech, and Tata Steel were among the losers, with TCS falling 3.34 per cent.

In early trade, market breadth was positive, with 1,940 stocks advancing against 501 stocks declining on the NSE. 113 stocks remained unchanged.

What did Gift Nifty indicate?

Gift Nifty, an early indicator for the Nifty 50, indicated a flat to mildly positive start today as it opened flat at 23,333. Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) remained net sellers for the seventh consecutive session on Thursday and sold equities worth Rs 3,208.76 crore on September 17, 2026. However, Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) remained buyers and bought equities worth Rs 3,617.75 crore.

“The market may remain in a consolidation phase with a cautious undertone, as lower-level buying is yet to translate into a decisive trend reversal. Nifty’s oversold zone could support short-covering moves, while Bank Nifty’s rejection near higher levels warrants vigilance. For a meaningful improvement in sentiment, indices would need to demonstrate sustained follow-through on the upside rather than brief intraday recoveries,” said Hitesh Tailor, Technical Research Analyst.

Asian Markets Today

Asian stocks rose in morning trade as US stocks staged a sharp recovery yesterday, reversing the prior session’s sell-off in a broad, tech-led rally. Japan’s Nikkei 225 was up by 1,098.75 points, or 1.71 per cent, to 65,235 at the time of writing the report. Similarly, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was up by 154.84 points or 2.31 per cent. South Korea’s Kospi was up by 154.37 points, or 2.30 per cent, and Shanghai’s SSE Composite index was up by 40.47 points, or 1.04 per cent.