GIFT Nifty suggests flat start for equities

GIFT Nifty:

The GIFT Nifty July 2026 futures currently traded 1.00 point higher, suggesting a flat opening for the benchmark index today.

Institutional Flows:

Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth Rs 1,650.16 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net sellers to the tune of Rs 656.88 crore in the Indian equity market on 21 July 2026, provisional data showed.

The FIIs have sold shares worth Rs 4,017.75 crore so far in July (till 21 July 2026). This follows their cash sales of Rs 49,028.63 crore in June, Rs 55,963.33 crore in May and Rs 70,135.46 crore in April.

Global Markets:

Asian markets traded in the green on Wednesday as investors took cues from a rebound in U.S. ‌markets, shrugging off climbing oil prices as Houthi rebels threatened to open a front in the widening Middle East conflict.

In the commodity markets, brent crude nudged 0.6% higher to $91.55 a barrel after two oil tankers carrying ​Saudi crude to Asia reversed course in the Red Sea on Tuesday after threats of ⁠attack from Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis.

Overnight in the US, the S&P 500 fell on Monday as oil prices advanced in response to the latest bout of military exchanges between the U.S. and Iran.

The broad market index dropped 0.19% to close at 7,443.28, while the Nasdaq Composite lost 0.05% and ended at 25,508.07. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 307.16 points, or 0.59%, to 51,839.26.

The U.S. completed its ninth consecutive day of strikes on Iran overnight, but investor sentiment improved by midmorning in London after Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei lifted hopes for a diplomatic settlement.

Baghaei was quoted by the media saying that intermediaries had continued to exchange messages with Iran amid the latest round of U.S. strikes, and said negotiations between the two adversaries could be pursued based on national interests.

Domestic Market:

Key equity benchmarks ended lower on Tuesday, with the Nifty closing below the 24,200 mark, weighed down by higher crude oil prices, continued FII selling, and weakness in HDFC Bank.

Brent crude hovered around $90 a barrel amid ongoing Middle East tensions, fuelling concerns over inflation and corporate margins.

Despite the decline in benchmark indices, midcap and smallcap stocks outperformed on stock-specific earnings optimism. Among sectoral indices, auto and metal shares advanced, while PSU banks, IT and energy stocks ended lower.

The S&P BSE Sensex declined 238.41 points or 0.31% to 77,470.11. The Nifty 50 index fell 50.80 points or 0.21% to 24,187.70.

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