Market Commentary Quick Review News Details

Market ends flat amid geopolitical concerns; metal stocks gain

(21-Aug-26   15:45)

The domestic equity benchmarks ended flat on Friday, as persistent geopolitical tensions surrounding Iran and elevated crude oil prices kept investor sentiment cautious. The Nifty settled above the 24,250 mark. Metal, private bank and realty shares advanced, while FMCG, auto and chemical shares declined.

As per provisional closing data, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, ended flat at 77,540.83, up 3.11 points or 0.00%. The Nifty 50 index rose 20.15 points or 0.08% to 24,252.

The broader market underperformed the frontline indices. The BSE 150 MidCap Index rose 0.12% and the BSE 250 SmallCap Index rallied 0.31%.

The market breadth was positive. On the BSE, 2,250 shares rose and 2,092 shares fell. A total of 243 shares were unchanged.

In the commodities market, Brent crude for Oct 2026 settlement lost 50 cents or 0.53% to $93.28 a barrel.

In the foreign exchange market, the rupee edged higher against the dollar. The partially convertible rupee was hovering at 95.7300 compared with its close of 95.7475 during the previous trading session.

Economy:

The Index of Core Industries (ICI) recorded a year-on-year growth of 5.4 per cent in July 2026, according to provisional estimates released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Growth was lower than the 6% recorded in June. However, cumulative growth during April-July 2026 stood at 4.3%, compared with 1.5% during the corresponding period a year earlier. Iron ore registered the highest growth among the eight core sectors, rising 29.5% year-on-year in July. Cement output increased 13.1%, while electricity grew 9%. Coal and steel recorded growth of 7.6% and 2.9%, respectively. Refinery products also increased by 2.7%. The growth, however, remained uneven across sectors. Natural gas output declined 3.7% in July, while crude oil contracted 5.3%. Fertiliser production also fell 8% during the month.

IPO Update:

Augmont Enterprises received bids for 1,46,62,566 shares as against 77,15,999 shares on offer, according to stock exchange data at 15:30 IST on 21 August 2026. The issue was subscribed 1.90 times.

The issue opened for bidding on 21 August 2026 and it will close on 25 August 2026. The price band of the IPO is fixed between Rs 750 and Rs 788 per share. An investor can bid for a minimum of 19 equity shares and multiples thereof.

Tempsens Instruments(India) received bids for 27,99,60,000 shares as against 1,51,81,667 shares on offer, according to stock exchange data at 15:30 IST on 21 August 2026. The issue was subscribed 18.44 times.

The issue opened for bidding on 19 August 2026 and it will close on 21 August 2026. The price band of the IPO is fixed between Rs 285 and Rs 300 per share. An investor can bid for a minimum of 50 equity shares and multiples thereof.

Gaja Alternative Asset Management received bids for 62,44,69,239 shares as against 2,53,28,946 shares on offer, according to stock exchange data at 15:30 IST on 21 August 2026. The issue was subscribed 24.65 times.

The issue opened for bidding on 19 August 2026 and will close on 21 August 2026. The price band of the IPO is fixed between Rs 152 and Rs 160 per share. An investor can bid for a minimum of 93 equity shares and multiples thereof.

Buzzing Index:

The Nifty Media index jumped 2.13% to 1,621.40. The index shed 0.91% in the past trading session.

Network 18 Media & Investments (up 8.69%), Zee Entertainment Enterprises (up 5.21%), Saregama India (up 2.32%), PVR Inox (up 1.47%), Prime Focus (up 1.36%) and Hathway Cable & Datacom (up 1.05%) advanced.

On the other hand, Sun TV Network (down 0.58%), Tips Music (down 0.41%) and D B Corp (down 0.39%) edged lower.

Stocks in Spotlight :

Data Patterns (India) advanced 2.43% after the company said that it has received order worth about Rs 585.76 crore from Bharat Electronics (BEL) for procurement of radar electronics.

RailTel Corporation of India rose 2.26% after the company said that it has secured order worth Rs 164 crore from Western Coalfields.

Saatvik Green Energy jumped 5.04% after the company's material subsidiary, Saatvik Solar Industries has received an order from reputed independent power producer/EPC player to supply solar photovoltaic (PV) modules.

Lemon Tree Hotels rose 0.23%. The company announced the opening of Lemon Tree Hotel, Bharuch, marking its 12th operational hotel in Gujarat. The company has 20 more hotels in the pipeline across the state.

Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles shed 0.80%. The company will increase prices of its cars and SUVs by up to Rs 25,000 from 1 September 2026.

Walchandnagar Industries added 1.27% after the company received an order worth Rs 30.53 crore from the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) for the supply of HS200 Motorcase for the Gaganyaan mission.

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals shed 0.82%. The company said that its subsidiary Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA, has launched Calcium Gluconate Injection USP in the US in three presentations, including single-dose vials and a pharmacy bulk package.

ICICI Bank rose 0.53%. The bank's board has approved borrowings by way of issuances of bonds/notes/offshore certificate of deposits in overseas markets for a revised limit of up to $5.00 billion.

NMDC Steel added 0.63%. The company said that Crisil Ratings has upgraded its rating on the long-term bank facilities of the company to 'Crisil A/Stable' from 'Crisil BBB+/Stable'.

Bajel Project jumped 6.12% after the company said that its joint venture entity AnantGrid Projects One (AGPOPL) has emerged as the successful bidder for the Lakadia'Part A inter-state transmission project in Gujarat.

B.L. Kashyap & Sons declined 2.95%. The company announced that it has secured an order worth Rs 183.18 crore from Realkraft Ventures LLP (Century Group).

Global Markets:

European and Asian markets advanced, supported by gains in technology and commodity-linked stocks, a weaker dollar and signs of resilience in regional economic activity. However, elevated crude oil prices and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East kept investors cautious.

In Japan, core consumer inflation accelerated to 1.8% year-on-year in July from 1.6% in June, marking the fastest pace since January. Underlying inflation, excluding fresh food and energy, rose 1.9%, while headline inflation also increased 1.9%.

The firmer inflation data strengthened expectations that the Bank of Japan could raise interest rates as soon as its September meeting.

Wall Street fell sharply on Thursday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average declining 1.32%, the S&P 500 falling 0.87% and the Nasdaq Composite losing 1%, as Treasury yields resumed their climb. The 10-year US Treasury yield rose to around 4.70%, while the 30-year yield touched 5.25%.

Walmart shares plunged 9.2% after its US comparable sales growth slowed to 2.6% in the second quarter, below market expectations, with higher fuel prices weighing on consumer spending.

Investors will now turn their attention to the Federal Reserve's policy outlook and the upcoming Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium from 27-29 August.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News