26 October, 2026 Stock Market Updates: Sensex sheds 133 points, Nifty near 22,500 amid elevated crude price

Indian equity benchmark indices, the Sensex and Nifty, started the session in the red on October 26, 2026, as elevated crude oil prices, escalating geopolitical tensions and uncertainty over the US Federal Reserve’s policy outlook weighed on investor sentiment. The 30-share BSE Sensex fell 133.79 points, or 0.18 per cent, to start the session at 72,990.04, while the Nifty shed 75.60 points to open at 22,524.40. In the last trading session, the Sensex closed at 73,123.83 and the Nifty 50 at 22,600. Similarly, the broader indices traded mixed in the opening session. While the BSE Midcap Select Index fell 109.17 points, the BSE Smallcap Select Index fell 63.88 points, or 0.77 per cent, to trade in the red at 8,251.52.

From the Sensex pack, Kotak Bank, Sun Pharma, Axis Bank, ITCS and Tata Steel were the gainers, with Kotak Bank leading the pack by gaining 2.77 per cent in the early trade. On the other hand, Infosys, HCL Tech, UltraTech Cement, Hindustan Unilever and NTPC were among the losers, with Infosys falling 3.07 per cent.

In early trade, market breadth was negative, with 1,841 stocks declining against 908 stocks advancing on the NSE. 123 stocks remained unchanged.

What did Gift Nifty indicate?

Gift Nifty, an early indicator for the Nifty 50, signalled a negative start today, opening down 49.5 points to 22,558.50 from the previous close of 22,608. Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) turned net buyers on Friday, i.e. on October 23, with equity purchases of Rs 887 crore. Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) extended their buying streak and bought equities worth Rs 3,236 crore.

“The near-term outlook remains under pressure, as sharp declines in Nifty and Bank Nifty highlight fragile market sentiment despite buying interest from FIIs and DIIs. Gift Nifty’s marginally negative signal points to a subdued start, while global uncertainty and elevated volatility may keep participants selective. Traders will watch whether key support zones attract fresh demand or selling resumes across heavyweight stocks,” said Sachin Gupta, VP – Technical Research at Choice Broking.

Asian Markets Today

Asian shares traded cautiously as oil prices remain elevated. Japan’s Nikkei 225 was down 318.16 points, or 0.51 per cent, to 62,375 at the time of writing. However, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 91.63 points or 0.40 per cent. But South Korea’s Kospi fell 51.46 points or 0.93 per cent. Shanghai’s SSE Composite index was down by 6.56 points or 01.8 per cent.