Markets opened sharply higher on Thursday, breaking a seven-session losing streak, after easing US Treasury yields and an overnight Wall Street rebound lifted global risk sentiment. The Sensex, which closed at 76,909.68 on Wednesday, opened at 77,468.45 and was trading at 77,492.86, up 583.18 points or 0.76 per cent. The Nifty 50, which ended the previous session at 24,078.30, opened at 24,225.45 and was trading at 24,198.40, up 120.10 points or 0.50 per cent, as of 9.21 am.
The rally was triggered largely by an overnight recovery on Wall Street, which snapped its own three-session losing streak after the US Treasury announced it would double long-duration bond buybacks to at least $4 billion per operation, cooling bond-market stress and pulling the 10-year US yield down to 4.65 per cent. The US Dollar Index slipped over 1 per cent, falling below the 99 mark.
Among Nifty 50 gainers, Shriram Finance led with a 1.77 per cent rise, last trading at ₹1,125.60 against a previous close of ₹1,106.00, on volumes of 2,44,792 shares worth ₹2,749.87 lakh. Eternal gained 1.45 per cent to ₹324.65 on heavy volumes of 20,80,904 shares valued at ₹6,737.76 lakh. Bajaj Finance rose 1.38 per cent to ₹1,095.10, with 7,69,082 shares worth ₹8,438.91 lakh changing hands. Kotak Mahindra Bank added 1.35 per cent to ₹395.50, while Infosys climbed 1.29 per cent to ₹1,134.30 on volumes of 7,42,664 shares worth ₹8,459.69 lakh.
On the losing side, Hindalco was the top decliner, down 0.59 per cent to ₹1,032.85 on volumes of 3,05,265 shares worth ₹3,177.75 lakh. ONGC slipped 0.52 per cent to ₹236.77, while Coal India fell 0.44 per cent to ₹398.25. Max Healthcare declined 0.42 per cent to ₹992.80, and NTPC shed 0.25 per cent to ₹335.70.
Sectorally, IT was the standout performer in Wednesday’s session, while the Defence index was the worst performer, shedding 1.60 per cent. Energy indices also closed lower by 1.20 per cent in the previous session. In Asian trade on Thursday, South Korea’s Kospi surged around 5 per cent and Japan’s Nikkei 225 advanced 1.45 per cent, reinforcing the improved regional risk mood.
Gift Nifty was trading around 24,234, up 144 points ahead of the open, signalling the positive start. Hitesh Tailor, Technical Research Analyst at Choice Broking, said the US Treasury’s measures helped calm bond-market stress and that “softer global yields and improved risk appetite could support a recovery in Indian equities, although elevated crude prices and geopolitical risks remain watch points.”
Brent crude remained elevated above $91 per barrel, while gold continued to trade near $4,500 per ounce, supported by lower Treasury yields. US President Donald Trump’s announcement of an “economic warfare” campaign against Iran kept West Asia tensions elevated, leaving the outlook for the Strait of Hormuz uncertain.
Foreign institutional investors bought equities worth ₹407 crore in the previous session, extending their buying streak to a second consecutive day. Domestic institutional investors purchased ₹3,973 crore worth of equities, marking their seventh straight session of net buying.
Technically, analysts flagged that the expected gap-up opening takes the Nifty directly into the 24,200–24,300 resistance zone. Hariselvan Radhakrishnan, Founder and CEO of HST Wealth, cautioned that “the market has yet to demonstrate sustained buying conviction despite improving global cues,” adding that “investors should avoid chasing the expected gap-up.” He noted that a decisive close above 24,300 would be needed to confirm short-term stabilisation.
Shrikant Chouhan, Head of Equity Research at Kotak Securities, noted that “one quick pullback rally is not ruled out if the market surpasses the 24,200 resistance mark,” but warned that “below 24,000, selling pressure is likely to accelerate.” The India VIX eased to 11.32, while the Put-Call Ratio stood at 0.70, reflecting a cautious derivatives setup. Immediate support for the Nifty remains at 24,000–24,050.
Published on August 20, 2026
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