Nifty, Sensex open lower; TCS, Eternal gain, Cipla, Maruti slip

Benchmark indices opened lower on Tuesday, August 25, weighed down by a tech-driven selloff on Wall Street, escalating US-Iran tensions and cautious sentiment ahead of Nvidia’s earnings. The Sensex, which closed Monday at 77,369.11, opened at 77,295.49 and was trading at 77,332.24, down 36.87 points or 0.05 per cent, as of 9.23 AM. The Nifty 50, which ended the previous session at 24,219.05, opened at 24,175.75 and was at 24,177.90, down 41.15 points or 0.17 per cent, at the same time.

The weakness follows Monday’s session where the Nifty shed 32.95 points or 0.14 per cent, as gains in metals and IT were offset by selling in financials and PSU banks. Shrikant Chouhan, Head of Equity Research at Kotak Securities, warned that a bearish candle on the daily charts points to further pressure. “We believe 24,250/77,500 will act as an immediate resistance zone for bulls. As long as the index trades below this level, the weak formation is likely to continue. On the downside, the market could slide towards 24,150/77,200,” he said.

On the global front, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent unveiled what he described as an “economic asphyxiation” sanctions campaign against Iran, warning that a major financial institution would be sanctioned within days. The announcement drove demand for safe-haven assets while pressuring risk assets. Vikram Kasat, Chief Business Officer at PL Capital, flagged another dimension of investor anxiety. “Investors are looking for details on Warsh’s plan to bring inflation sustainably down to the Fed’s 2 per cent target, which the central bank has missed for over five years now,” he noted.

Asian markets opened on a weaker note, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 falling around 1 per cent and South Korea’s Kospi declining over 2.5 per cent, as the overnight semiconductor selloff on Wall Street spilled into the region. The Dow Jones closed up 140 points or 0.26 per cent on Monday, but the S&P 500 fell 0.28 per cent and the Nasdaq dropped 0.76 per cent, dragged by a sharp fall in semiconductor stocks. Micron slid nearly 6 per cent and Nvidia slipped below $210 ahead of its Wednesday earnings report. GIFT Nifty at 24,166 pointed to a muted domestic open.

Brent crude held near $90 a barrel after falling 4 per cent on Monday following the sanctions rollout, while WTI remained firm near $85. Iran’s rial has fallen to a record low, and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains severely constrained. V K Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Investments, said, “Crude is likely to remain at the present high levels, constraining a rally in the market.” Gold was above $4,700 an ounce and silver around $69.6, both at three-month highs, reflecting continued safe-haven demand. The rupee stood at 95.74.

Among Nifty 50 stocks, Eternal led gainers, opening at ₹330.00 and trading at ₹329.60, up 0.75 per cent. Trent added 0.55 per cent to ₹2,921.00, Adani Ports rose 0.53 per cent to ₹1,681.00, TCS gained 0.50 per cent to ₹2,295.60 and SBI Life Insurance edged up 0.48 per cent to ₹1,770.20. On the losing side, Cipla was the top laggard, down 1.18 per cent to ₹1,421.00. Hindalco fell 0.79 per cent to ₹1,050.15, TMPV dropped 0.65 per cent to ₹312.35, Maruti Suzuki declined 0.63 per cent to ₹13,534.00 and Tata Consumer Products slipped 0.61 per cent to ₹1,056.00.

In IT, TCS was in focus after announcing a €320 million deal to acquire Porsche AG’s management and IT consulting arm, MHP, alongside a five-year strategic partnership worth approximately $1.46 billion. The deal is expected to deepen TCS’s footprint in automotive technology across artificial intelligence, digital manufacturing and mobility solutions. Ponmudi R, CEO of Enrich Money, noted that “IT stocks are likely to remain in focus” following the development.

On the institutional front, foreign institutional investors turned net buyers on Monday, purchasing equities worth ₹1,181 crore. Domestic institutional investors extended their buying streak to a tenth consecutive session, investing ₹2,493 crore. Hitesh Tailor, Technical Research Analyst at Choice Broking, said, “Strong domestic institutional inflows may offer some cushion, but volatility and stock-specific action are likely to remain elevated.” Today also marks the first monthly derivatives expiry using the Closing Auction Session mechanism, which has seen sharp swings in recent closing sessions.

Devarsh Vakil, Head of Prime Research at HDFC Securities, noted that the Nifty slipped below its 20-day EMA placed at 24,292, “indicating continued short-term weakness,” though an upward-sloping trendline support around 24,050 keeps a recovery possible. Rajesh Palviya, Head of Research at Axis Direct, placed immediate support at 24,150, followed by 23,950, with 24,500 as the key resistance. Gaurav Udani, Founder of Thincredblu, advised caution: “Given the expiry setup, traders should avoid aggressive positions, especially during the opening volatility. A disciplined, level-based approach with strict risk management remains advisable.”

Published on August 25, 2026