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Key gauges end marginally in green; RBI keeps policy rates unchanged
Aug-05-2026

Indian equity benchmarks closed marginally higher in a volatile session on Wednesday after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) kept the benchmark repo rate unchanged at 5.25 per cent and maintained its neutral policy stance, broadly in line with market expectations. However, rising crude oil prices amid renewed geopolitical tensions capped the market's upside. 

The BSE Sensex ended the session with marginal gains following buying in Metal, Auto and Realty stocks. But, gains were limited as traders were cautious ahead of the weekly derivatives expiry. Similarly, the Nifty ended the session with modest gains after trading in a narrow range throughout the day as traders largely stayed on the sidelines following the interest rate announcement. Also, mixed broader market sentiment kept the index's gains in check. 

Some of the important factors in trade:

Govt's broad-based growth strategy to help India cross $5-trillion economy mark by FY29: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that the Indian economy is on track to cross the $5-trillion mark in FY29, in line with projections by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), with the government pursuing a broad-based growth strategy to achieve the milestone.

India’s SEZ exports grow 11.8% to Rs 16.36 lakh crore in FY26: The Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada has stated that India's exports from Special Economic Zones (SEZs) grew 11.8 per cent year-on-year to Rs 16,36,192 crore ($185.28 billion) in 2025-26, up from Rs 14,63,669 crore ($173.07 billion) in the previous fiscal. 

Business activity slows across India’s services economy; PMI at 53.3 in July: According to the survey report, the seasonally adjusted HSBC India Services PMI Business Activity Index fell to 53.3 in July from 57.4 in June. Further, the HSBC India Composite PMI Output Index -- which measures both manufacturing and services -- also eased to 54.3 in July as against 57.1 in June

India to remain among fastest-growing steel markets in FY27: Amid oversupplied global steel markets, geopolitical uncertainties, evolving trade barriers, and tightening sustainability regulations, the rating agency India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) has said that India will remain among the fastest-growing steel markets globally in FY27. 

Global front: European markets were trading mostly in red even as Eurostat reported Eurozone producer prices declined for the first time in four months in June due to the fall in energy prices. Asian markets finished mostly in green boosted by hopes of U.S.-Iran negotiations reopening the Strait of Hormuz. 

Finally, the BSE Sensex rose 152.05 points or 0.19% to 78,581.00 and the CNX Nifty was up by 9.75 points or 0.04% to 24,624.65.   

The BSE Sensex touched high and low of 79,055.38 and 78,285.74, respectively. There were 18 stocks advancing against 12 stocks declining on the index.        

The top gaining sectoral indices on the BSE were Metal up by 1.60%, Auto up by 1.35%, Realty up by 1.19%, Basic Materials up by 1.04% and Consumer Discretionary up by 0.87%, while Energy down by 0.41%, Oil & Gas down by 0.39%, Capital Goods down by 0.17% and Utilities down by 0.01% were the top losing indices on BSE.

The top gainers on the Sensex were Ultratech Cement up by 2.04%, NTPC up by 1.89%, State Bank of India up by 1.84%, Mahindra & Mahindra up by 1.76% and Interglobe Aviation up by 1.34%. On the flip side, TCS down by 1.31%, HCL Technologies down by 1.26%, Reliance Industries down by 1.08%, Sun Pharma down by 0.88% and HDFC Bank down by 0.74% were the top losers.

Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada has stated that India's exports from Special Economic Zones (SEZs) grew 11.8 per cent year-on-year to Rs 16,36,192 crore ($185.28 billion) in 2025-26, up from Rs 14,63,669 crore ($173.07 billion) in the previous fiscal. The minister said the government has been undertaking measures to improve SEZ utilisation, attract fresh investments and integrate these export hubs more closely with domestic supply chains to enhance their operational efficiency. 

The minister said SEZ exports have registered consistent growth over the past five years, increasing from Rs 9,90,747 crore in 2021-22 to Rs 12.63 lakh crore in 2022-23, Rs 13.55 lakh crore in 2023-24, Rs 14.64 lakh crore in 2024-25, and Rs 16.36 lakh crore in 2025-26. Among states, Gujarat emerged as the top exporter from SEZs in FY26 with exports worth Rs 4,05,595 crore, followed by Karnataka (Rs 2,69,004 crore), Maharashtra (Rs 2,43,422.5 crore) and Tamil Nadu (Rs 2,12,288 crore). 

He stated that India's pharmaceutical exports increased from $15.43 billion in 2014-15 to $31.12 billion in 2025-26, a compound annual growth rate of about 6.6 per cent. Pharmaceutical exports stood at $30.27 billion in 2024-25. Maharashtra, one of India's leading pharmaceutical exporting states, accounted for about 19% of the country's pharma exports. The exports from the state rose from $4.48 billion in 2021-22 to $5.94 billion in 2025-26, with Pune, Mumbai, Thane, Nashik, Palghar, Raigad and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) among the key exporting districts.

Talking about free trade agreements (FTAs), he said such pacts can help India gain preferential market access, reduce tariff barriers and enhance export competitiveness as countries and businesses seek reliable and diversified trade partners. He noted that India has finalised trade agreements with the UAE, Australia, the United Kingdom, Oman, New Zealand, and the EFTA bloc.  

CNX Nifty touched high and low of 24,677.60 and 24,497.95, respectively. There were 26 stocks advancing against 22 stocks declining, while 2 stocks remain unchanged on the index.

The top gainers on Nifty were Shriram Finance up by 3.23%, Grasim Industries up by 2.74%, JSW Steel up by 2.31%, Hindalco Industries up by 1.96% and NTPC up by 1.82%. On the flip side, TCS down by 1.91%, Apollo Hospital down by 1.55%, HCL Technologies down by 1.45%, Sun Pharma down by 1.22% and JIO Financial Services down by 1.15% were the top losers.

European markets were trading mostly in red; UK’s FTSE 100 decreased 18.09 points or 0.17% to 10,861.29 and France’s CAC fell 4.73 points or 0.05% to 8,661.90, while Germany’s DAX gained 7.75 points or 0.03% to 26,210.10.

Asian markets finished mostly in green on Wednesday, driven by a powerful technological stock rally. Regional sentiment also benefited from sliding crude oil prices, lower bond yields notes and on optimism over potential diplomatic progress in the Middle East. Heavy capital expenditure commitments toward artificial intelligence further stimulated demand for regional semiconductor and heavyweight tech exporters. KOSPI soared with the hefty technical buying in regional artificial intelligence and memory chip giants like Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.

Asian Indices

Last Trade            

Change in Points

Change in %      

Shanghai Composite

3,878.43

56.15

1.47

Hang Seng

25,915.82

62.9

0.24

Jakarta Composite

6,351.14

31.53

0.50

KLSE Composite

1,748.17

15.51

0.90

Nikkei 225

66,300.44

2342.91

3.66

Straits Times

5,581.37

-30.88

-0.55

KOSPI Composite

6,598.26

239.31

3.76

Taiwan Weighted

44,611.60

1250.94

2.88
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