The Nifty 25 August 2026 futures closed at ₹24,288 with a premium of ₹36 points compared to the Nifty's cash market closing at ₹24,252, according to latest reports from Business Standard. This premium trading indicates positive sentiment in the futures market as markets recovered from earlier weakness. The August 2026 F&O contracts are scheduled to expire on 25 August 2026. The benchmarks continued to diverge between the regular close at 1515 IST and the new closing auction session, with Monday marking one of the first instances of the indices closing lower after the auction than at the end of regular trading.
In the cash market, the Nifty 50 index advanced 24,252 points or 0.08% to close at ₹24,252, as reported by Business Standard. This recovery from earlier declines contrasts with the previous session's negative performance, suggesting market resilience. The Sensex had declined 281.09 points or 0.36% to close at 77,728.16, marking its fifth straight session of losses, but the current session's recovery indicates potential stabilization. IT stocks led the previous decline, with the Nifty IT index falling nearly 2%, while FMCG stocks also weighed on the benchmarks. Infosys, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, and HCL Technologies were the top Nifty50 losers, while Nifty Metal and Nifty Realty outperformed.
The NSE's India VIX, which serves as a gauge of the market's expectation of volatility over the near term, rallied 3.81% to 11.17, according to Business Standard. This significant increase in volatility expectations suggests market participants are becoming more cautious about near-term price movements, potentially contributing to the premium trading in futures contracts. The lack of progress towards ending the Iran war kept crude oil prices elevated, with Brent crude rising nearly 1% to around $89 per barrel after US President Donald Trump warned Americans to prepare for continued high fuel prices amid the Iran war.
In the F&O segment of the NSE, HDFC Bank, Reliance Industries and Infosys emerged as the top-traded individual stock futures contracts, as reported by Business Standard. This concentration of trading activity in these three stocks indicates specific investor interest in these securities for the August 2026 expiry period. Hindustan Copper rose 7.73% to ₹569.95, supported by strength in copper prices that recorded near record high on London Metal Exchange, driven by aggressive stockpiling ahead of a potential US tariff decision and strong financial performance with a multi-fold jump in quarterly net profit.
The Indian rupee weakened to around 95.49 per US dollar, its weakest level in two weeks, after the Reserve Bank of India unexpectedly advanced the deadline for its discounted foreign-exchange swap facility for non-resident deposits. The RBI brought forward the cutoff for the zero-cost hedging facility for FCNR(B) deposits to August 31 from September 30, despite more than $50 billion of inflows through the scheme, raising concerns over future dollar inflows. Indian government bond yields rose, with the 10-year G-Sec yield climbing to around 6.81%, a near two-week high. The RBI's decision to bring forward the closure of the FCNR(B) facility raised concerns over reduced demand for government securities, particularly four- to six-year maturities where much of the inflows under the scheme had been invested.
