Market Commentary Mid Session News Details
Indices tumble amid uncertain geopolitics; breadth weak
(18-May-26 09:40)
The key equity benchmarks traded with moderate losses in early trade mirroring weak global cues. Investor sentiment remained subdued amid uncertainty surrounding geopolitical developments. The rupee depreciated, while Brent crude prices rallied above the $110-per-barrel mark. Nifty traded below the 23,400 level.
Barring IT index, all the sectoral indices on the NSE were traded in red with with realty, consumer durables and auto shares leading the fall.
At 09:25 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex declined 819.20 points or 1.09% to 74,407.18 The Nifty 50 index declined 247.90 points or 1.05% to 23,395.60.
In the broader market, the BSE 150 MidCap Index tumbled 1.38% and the BSE 250 SmallCap Index dropped 1.89%.
The market breadth was negative. On the BSE, 763 shares rose and 2,530 shares fell. A total of 186 shares were unchanged.
Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth Rs 1,329.17 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net sellers to the tune of Rs 1,958.82 crore in the Indian equity market on 15 May 2026, provisional data showed.
Stocks in Spotlight:
NHPC rose 1.33%. The company has reported a 71.1% jump in consolidated net profit to Rs 1,460.16 crore on a 20% rise in revenue to Rs 2,815.53 crore in Q4 FY26 as compared with Q4 FY25.
Greenpanel Industries fell 4.60%. The company has reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 1.37 crore in Q4 FY26, which is lower by 95.3% as compared with the PAT of Rs 29.39 crore recorded in Q4 FY25. Revenue rose by 6.5% year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 398.93 crore during the period under review.
Atul Auto dropped 2.14%. The company reported a 106.85% year-on-year jump in consolidated net profit to Rs 14.79 crore for the fourth quarter ended 31 March 2026, compared with Rs 7.15 crore posted in the corresponding quarter last year. Total revenue from operations grew by 14.02% year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 240.58 crore in the quarter ended 31 March 2026.
Numbers to Track:
The yield on India's 10-year benchmark federal paper rose 0.82% to 7.134 compared with the previous session close of 7.076.
In the foreign exchange market, the rupee edged lower against the dollar. The partially convertible rupee was hovering at 96.1375 compared with its close of 95.8100 during the previous trading session.
MCX Gold futures for 5 June 2026 settlement shed 0.19% to Rs 158,264.
The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the greenback's value against a basket of currencies, was up 0.04% to 99.32.
The United States 10-year bond yield rose 0.67% to 4.630.
In the commodities market, Brent crude for July 2026 settlement rose $2.14 cents or 1.96% to $111.40 a barrel.
Global Markets:
Asia markets fell Monday as investors weighed renewed geopolitical tensions after U.S. President Donald Trump warned Iran to get moving, FAST,' raising fears of further escalation in the Middle East and potential disruptions to global oil supplies.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump on Sunday said 'the Clock is Ticking' for Iran and warned there 'won't be anything left' if action was not taken soon, adding that 'TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!' He did not elaborate on the steps he wanted Iran to take or the consequences that could follow.
Tensions between Washington and Tehran have remained elevated despite a fragile ceasefire reached in early April. The U.S. has continued its blockade of Iranian ports, while Iran has kept the Strait of Hormuz shut since the conflict began.
Last week on Wall Street, the major indices closed lower on Friday, weighed down by losses in technology stocks and a rise in U.S. Treasury yields after a summit between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping ended without major policy breakthroughs, leaving traders worried.
The S&P 500 shed 1.24% to end at 7,408.50, while the Nasdaq Composite slipped 1.54% to 26,225.14. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 537.29 points, or 1.07%, and closed at 49,526.17.
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