HOME > MARKETS > MARKET COMMENTARY
  MARKET COMMENTARY
EQUITY
Markets continue lacklustre trade during late afternoon deals
Aug-26-2026

Benchmarks continued to trade lacklustre in late afternoon session as investors took a cautious approach ahead of release of US inflation data, due later in the day, which could provide clues about Federal Reserve’s interest rate trajectory. Traders also overlooked Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal pitching India as a compelling destination for data centres, and said that the country can work with Japanese companies to develop the sector.

Sensex was trading just below the neutral line with Telecom, IT, Utility, Energy and Auto stocks leading laggards, while gains among Banking and Construction Materials stocks capped the losses. Nifty was trading with a cut of near quarter percent weighed by losses among FMGC, Pharmaceutical and Oil Gas & Consumable Fuels counters.

On the global front, Asian equity markets were trading mostly in green tracking positive cues from Wall Street overnight. European equity markets were trading mostly in green amid easing global crude oil prices. Brent crude oil has declined over 3% to trade below $86 a barrel mark.

The BSE Sensex is currently trading at 77614.82, down by 41.27 points or 0.05% after trading in a range of 77545.07 and 77986.84. There were 14 stocks advancing against 16 stocks declining on the index.

The top gaining sectoral indices on the BSE were Basic Materials up by 1.14%, Metal up by 0.92%, Healthcare up by 0.65%, Bankex up by 0.49% and PSU up by 0.27%, while TECK down by 1.19%, Telecom down by 0.96%, IT down by 0.92%, FMCG down by 0.56% and Consumer Durables down by 0.56% were the top losing indices on BSE.

The top gainers on the Sensex were Kotak Mahindra Bank up by 3.32%, Ultratech Cement up by 1.43%, Axis Bank up by 1.41%, ICICI Bank up by 0.97% and Bajaj Finserv up by 0.78%. On the flip side, Infosys down by 1.87%, Tech Mahindra down by 1.57%, Bharti Airtel down by 1.44%, Larsen & Toubro down by 1.34% and Power Grid Corporation down by 1.13% were the top losers.

Meanwhile, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW), Sarbananda Sonowal has said that the government plans to add 100 more new vessels to India's foreign-dependent merchant fleet over the next five years to cut $75 billion in freight bills. India currently operates a merchant fleet of around 1,600 seagoing ships. The plan discussed at the National Shipping Board’s (NSB) first ‘Sagar Samvad’ event on August 25, 2026. 

Sonowal said the NSB, established in 1958 and older than the ministry it advises, is tasked with ensuring that India’s shipping policy is formulated only after listening to the voices of those who sail, own, and fund the industry. NSB is a statutory advisory body under the Merchant Shipping Act, 2025, that counsels the government on shipping policy, tonnage, seafarer welfare, and port-linked maritime development. He also acknowledged the success of the Container Manufacturing Assistance Scheme worth Rs 10,000 crore, with global shipping major Maersk now ordering containers built on Indian soil. 

The minister further said India's maritime sector has the potential to become a major engine of employment for the young workforce and position India as the world's leading supplier of skilled seafarers. He said ‘we are expanding quality training capacity, with steps taken to strengthen industry-led skilling, create wider employment pathways, address gender disparity and equip our workforce with skills for emerging segments such as cruise shipping and advanced shipbuilding.’ He added that a skilled and future-ready maritime workforce will be central to achieving the Maritime India Vision 2030 and building India's shipbuilding capabilities under Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047.

The CNX Nifty is currently trading at 24278.50, down by 56.05 points or 0.23% after trading in a range of 24253.60 and 24378.60. There were 18 stocks advancing against 32 stocks declining on the index.

The top gainers on Nifty were Kotak Mahindra Bank up by 3.52%, HDFC Life Insurance up by 2.43%, Axis Bank up by 1.64%, Ultratech Cement up by 1.47% and SBI Life Insurance up by 1.03%. On the flip side, Infosys down by 1.90%, Nestle India down by 1.83%, Shriram Finance down by 1.76%, Tech Mahindra down by 1.68% and Tata Consumer Production down by 1.67% were the top losers.

Asian equity markets were trading mostly in green; Nikkei 225 surged 447.57 points or 0.68% to 66,304.00, Taiwan Weighted added 663.16 points or 1.45% to 45,832.62, Hang Seng advanced 128.9 points or 0.5% to 25,640.00, KOSPI increased 65.47 points or 0.96% to 6,808.21 and Shanghai Composite strengthened 23.08 points or 0.59% to 3,912.52, while Straits Times fell 11.82 points or 0.21% to 5,723.86 and Jakarta Composite plunged 70.9 points or 1.1% to 6,430.77.

European equity markets were trading mostly in green; Germany’s DAX gained 10.36 points or 0.04% to 26,276.50 and France’s CAC rose 38.3 points or 0.45% to 8,477.50, while UK’s FTSE 100 decreased 8.45 points or 0.08% to 10,877.71.
  RELATED NEWS >>
Most Viewed >>
EXPLORE
© CITRUS INTERACTIVE
Designed & Developed Accord Fintech Pvt. Ltd.