Sensex, Nifty Today 26 Oct: Red Open, Then Recovery
Indian markets started the week on a weak note on Monday, 26 October 2026, as Brent crude stayed above $114 a barrel and global sentiment stayed cautious ahead of the US Federal Reserve meeting. The early fall was sharp, but benchmarks recovered from their morning lows by mid-morning. This article uses intraday snapshots reported during the morning session — not closing levels, which were not yet available at the time of writing.
Opening levels: Sensex and Nifty on 26 October
The BSE Sensex opened at 72,990.04, down 133.79 points or 0.18%, while the NSE Nifty 50 opened at 22,524.40, down 75.60 points or 0.33%. Both indices fell further soon after the open.
| Index | Previous close (23 Oct) | Open (26 Oct) | Open change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensex | 73,123.83 | 72,990.04 | -133.79 (-0.18%) |
| Nifty 50 | 22,600.00 | 22,524.40 | -75.60 (-0.33%) |
| BSE Smallcap Select | — | 8,251.52 | -63.88 (-0.77%) |
Gift Nifty, an early indicator for the Nifty 50, had signalled a soft start, trading around 22,558–22,608 in early trade versus the previous close of 22,608.
Early lows, then a mid-morning recovery
In early trade the Sensex fell more than 500 points to about 72,605.53 (-0.7%) and the Nifty dropped about 190 points to 22,405.20 (-0.9%). By the 10:30 IST update, both benchmarks had recovered from those lows and were trading in the green, with the Sensex reported up about 300 points and the Nifty back above 22,600. Early market breadth was negative: 1,841 stocks declined against 908 advancing on the NSE.
Why markets opened lower: crude above $114
- Crude: Brent crude traded at about $114.19 a barrel in the morning, easing from a near six-month high of $117 but still far above pre-tension levels, with attacks on Saudi Arabia keeping supply concerns in focus.
- Global cues: Asian markets were mostly lower; Japan's Nikkei fell about 0.5–0.6%, South Korea's Kospi fell about 0.9–1.4%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained about 0.4–0.5%.
- Fed watch: The US Federal Reserve meets on 27–28 October. A Reuters poll summary reported that nearly all economists expect the Fed to skip a rate hike this week and deliver one in December.
- Inflation worry: G. Chokkalingam of Equinomics Research flagged rising inflation and tight liquidity, noting India's crude import bill surged 47% to $15.4 billion as the Indian crude basket spiked 67% year-on-year in September.
Gainers and losers in early trade
Among early gainers were Kotak Mahindra Bank (up about 2.77% in early trade), Dr Reddy's Laboratories, Sun Pharma, Axis Bank and Max Healthcare. Among the early losers were Infosys (down about 3.07%), Shriram Finance (down about 5.6% at one point), HCL Tech, Tech Mahindra, Tata Consumer Products and NTPC.
Sectorally, most major NSE indices opened in the red. Nifty IT fell 2.39%, Nifty Realty fell 0.92%, Nifty Auto fell 0.42%, Nifty FMCG fell 0.27% and Nifty PSU Bank fell 0.28%. Nifty Media, Nifty Pharma and Nifty Private Bank were exceptions, opening in the green.
FII, DII, rupee, gold and silver
| Indicator | 26 October snapshot |
|---|---|
| FII flows (23 Oct) | Net buyers of Rs 887 crore |
| DII flows (23 Oct) | Net buyers of Rs 3,236 crore |
| Rupee vs dollar | Opened at 94.93, versus 94.94 on Friday |
| Gold (24-carat) | Opened marginally higher at Rs 1,42,431 per 10 grams (+0.29%) |
| Silver | Gained 0.67% to Rs 1,97,028 per kg |
Geojit Investments' V. K. Vijayakumar said that even after cooling below $115, Brent crude remained too high and would constrain any rally from the 22,600 level the Nifty touched on Friday, adding that investors should focus on value buys emerging from the correction rather than index levels in the near term.
What to watch this week
- 27–28 October: US Federal Reserve policy meeting.
- 28 October: Jio Platforms and Paras Defence-related listings are due, and India's September IIP data is scheduled.
- Through the week: Q2 FY27 company results, crude and rupee movements, and FII/DII flows.
- Context: Last week the Nifty fell 2.36% and the Sensex fell 2.15% in a holiday-shortened four-session week — see last week's market wrap. The RBI's October rate hike to 5.50% is also still feeding through to loan and deposit rates — see RBI hikes repo rate to 5.50% and upcoming IPOs this week.
FAQs
Why did Sensex and Nifty fall at the open on 26 October 2026?
Elevated Brent crude above $114, weak Asian markets and caution ahead of the US Fed meeting weighed on sentiment.
What were the opening levels?
Sensex opened at 72,990.04 and Nifty at 22,524.40, versus Friday's closes of 73,123.83 and 22,600.
Did markets recover during the morning?
Yes — after falling to about 72,605 (Sensex) and 22,405 (Nifty) in early trade, both benchmarks recovered into the green by mid-morning, according to the 10:30 IST update.
What did FIIs and DIIs do on Friday?
FIIs were net buyers of Rs 887 crore and DIIs bought Rs 3,236 crore on 23 October.
What is the key trigger this week?
The US Federal Reserve meeting on 27–28 October, plus September IIP data and major listings on 28 October.
Conclusion
Monday's session started as a continuation of last week's crude-driven sell-off, but the mid-morning recovery showed buyers stepping in at lower levels, helped by domestic institutional buying. With crude still above $114 and the Fed meeting ahead, volatility is likely to stay high — the week's direction will hinge on crude, the Fed's tone and FII flows rather than a single morning's move. This article reports intraday levels only; closing figures will differ.