Post Session: Quick Review

Indian equity benchmarks ended lower on Monday, tracking broadly weak cues from Asian markets as investors remained cautious ahead of expected new U.S. sanctions on Iran, which could further disrupt supplies from the Middle East. Sentiments were also weighed down by elevated crude oil prices and continued geopolitical uncertainty. 

Both the Sensex and Nifty, after giving up their early gains, ended in negative territory, with banking, and financial services, stocks emerging as the key laggards. Additionally, traders remained cautious ahead of the monthly Nifty F&O expiry due tomorrow, adding to volatility during the session. Meanwhile, buying interest was concentrated in metal stocks and select IT heavyweight counters.

Some of the important factors in trade:

FIIs intensify selling pressure: Sentiments were weak as Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) remained net sellers for the second straight session on August 21, 2026, offloading Indian equities worth Rs 542.71 crore. 

Commerce Secretary’s South America visit to boost India’s trade diversification push: Traders overlooked the report stated that India is enhancing its focus on South America as part of its trade diversification strategy, particularly Chile, Argentina, and Brazil, which present significant export opportunities and are expected to strengthen trade ties during Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal's visit from August 24 to 28.

India, Brazil sign MoU to deepen bilateral cooperation in telecommunications, ICTs: Traders paid no heed to reports that India and Brazil have signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to deepen bilateral cooperation in telecommunications and Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs).

On the global front: European markets were trading mostly in green, ahead of Nvidia’s earnings update. Asian markets ended in red, as elevated global bond yields weighed on investor sentiment. 

The BSE Sensex ended at 77369.11, down by 171.72 points or 0.22% after trading in a range of 77201.66 and 77789.40. There were 8 stocks advancing against 22 stocks declining on the index. (Provisional)

The top gaining sectoral indices on the BSE were Metal up by 1.38%, Telecom up by 1.05%, Basic Materials up by 0.55%, Realty up by 0.43%, and Oil & Gas up by 0.34%, while Consumer Durables down by 0.41%, Bankex down by 0.35%, PSU down by 0.22%, Utilities down by 0.19%, and Capital Goods down by 0.16% were the top losing indices on BSE. (Provisional)

The top gainers on the Sensex were Tata Steel up by 1.62%, Infosys up by 0.94%, HCL Technologies up by 0.92%, Sun Pharma up by 0.52% and Eternal up by 0.37%. On the flip side, Bajaj Finance down by 1.26%, Bajaj Finserv down by 1.22%, Bharat Electronics down by 1.09%, Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone down by 1.00% and State Bank of India down by 0.90% were the top losers. (Provisional)

Meanwhile, with an aim of strengthening bilateral trade, India and Finland are eyeing to deepen business and technology partnerships in the circular economy, as companies from both countries explored opportunities for resource-efficient and sustainable growth at the India Circular Economy Forum (ICEF) 2026. The concluding day of the two-day (from August 20 to 21) ICEF 2026, which focused on Finland, brought together policymakers, businesses and circular economy experts to discuss opportunities arising from the evolving India-EU economic relationship. ICEF 2026 was a precursor to the World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF) 2026, which will be held for the first time in South Asia, in Gandhinagar, from September 15 to 18.

Antti Herlevi, Counsellor for Trade and Investments at the Embassy of Finland in New Delhi, said “Circular economy is not just an environmental agenda; it is an economic and industrial one.” He said more than 100 Finnish companies were already active in India across sectors such as clean energy, waste management, recycling, digital solutions and sustainable design, and that there was scope for greater cooperation with Indian partners. He also said, “As the Indian market continues to grow rapidly, there is a significant opportunity for Finnish businesses to work alongside local partners in India across a range of fields, combining expertise and innovation to support resource-efficient and sustainable growth.” Finnish companies, including Peikko, Nokia, Normet, Mirasys and Lamor, and Indian firms such as Orbigreen Techsource, LoopM Alternatives, Re:Gen Collective and Syaahi Uniforms, took part in the discussions.

The 10th edition of the WCEF in Gandhinagar will be jointly organised in September by Finnish innovation fund Sitra and the Central Pollution Control Board, with support from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the Gujarat government, and other global and Indian partners. The forum aims to identify practical strategies to help businesses improve resource efficiency, strengthen environmental and ESG performance, and develop new growth opportunities as India expands its role in global value chains. According to Indian government data, India’s bilateral trade with Finland rose by about 25 per cent year-on-year to $3.70 billion in 2025-26. Overall trade grew by around 38.5 per cent over five years, from $2.64 billion in 2021-22 to $3.65 billion in 2025-26.

The CNX Nifty ended at 24219.05, down by 32.95 points or 0.14% after trading in a range of 24144.30 and 24313.00. There were 23 stocks advancing against 26 stocks declining on the index, while one stock remained unchanged. (Provisional)

The top gainers on Nifty were JSW Steel up by 2.57%, Hindalco Industries up by 2.37%, Tata Steel up by 1.80%, HCL Technologies up by 1.50% and Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories up by 1.30%. On the flip side, SBI Life Insurance down by 1.73%, Bajaj Finance down by 1.64%, Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone down by 1.64%, Bajaj Finserv down by 1.52% and Bharat Electronics down by 1.21% were the top losers. (Provisional)

European markets were trading higher; UK’s FTSE 100 increased 16.91 points or 0.16% to 10,833.47, Germany’s DAX gained 17.84 points or 0.07% to 26,154.40 and France’s CAC rose 0.57 points or 0.01% to 8,485.00.

Asian markets settled lower on Monday amid caution ahead of the release of key US inflation data and Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh's Jackson Hole speech for clues on the path for interest rates, while investors also awaited details of what Washington has billed as its toughest-ever sanctions campaign against Iran and its trading partners. Chinese markets declined as market participants adopted a cautious stance ahead of the National People's Congress Standing Committee meeting on August 25-28, where they expect fresh policy support following a string of underwhelming economic data and recent pledges to bolster growth. South Korea’s Kospi fell as traders booked profits in chip stocks ahead of Nvidia's earnings report later this week.