Indian equity markets extended their gains throughout Wednesday's session, with the BSE Sensex crossing 74,800 after climbing close to 300 points and the NSE Nifty50 settling just under 23,450, rising a little more than 100 points as of market close. According to latest market data, the positive momentum was driven by investor optimism about a possible de-escalation in West Asia. The broader market showed strong performance with the Nifty MidCap index rising 0.29% and the Nifty SmallCap index advancing 0.52%, indicating positive sentiment beyond the frontline indices. Market breadth remained robust with 2,261 shares rising and 819 shares falling on the BSE, while 175 shares remained unchanged.
Among the Nifty 50 constituents, Bajaj Finance, Bajaj Finserv and Hindalco Industries emerged as the top gainers during the session, supporting the benchmark's upward move. IRB Infrastructure Developers rose 2.11% after the company's board approved monetisation of non-core assets, including two land parcels each in Pune and Mumbai. Aditya Infotech jumped 4.98% following the board's approval of a qualified institutional placement (QIP) proposal with a floor price of ₹3,648.43 per share. Sectoral trends showed mixed performance with Nifty Metal emerging as the strongest performer, rising more than 1% to outperform other sectoral indices, while the Nifty IT index recorded the sharpest decline among sectoral indices, limiting overall gains in the broader market.
Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) continued their selling streak, offloading shares worth ₹3,810 crore on September 22, 2026, according to latest market data. This follows net cash purchases of ₹17,366 crore in August 2026 and net buying of ₹6,731.97 crore in July 2026. The sustained selling pressure from foreign investors has been a key factor influencing market sentiment in recent sessions. However, Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) remained net buyers with purchases of ₹4,120 crore, providing some support to the market. The gains came as investors continued to assess geopolitical developments and their potential impact on global markets and commodities.
Asian markets showed positive momentum with South Korea's KOSPI gaining more than 1%, while Asian equities broadly maintained a positive bias. Japan's Nikkei market remained closed for a holiday. Markets are taking cues from firm Asian equities and Brent crude futures declined to around $98.9 per barrel, extending recent weakness as supply concerns eased and expectations of diplomatic progress in the Middle East improved sentiment. According to market outlook, Brent crude was below the $100-a-barrel mark, while WTI crude was around $90 a barrel. For India, softer crude prices offer some relief on the macroeconomic front given the country's dependence on imported energy, though continued foreign investor selling and uncertainty surrounding the Middle East remain key risks for domestic equities.
In the commodities market, Brent crude for November 2026 settlement declined 1.02 or 1.03% to $98.23 a barrel, extending its decline following diplomatic engagement reports. According to market data, the Indian rupee appreciated against the U.S. dollar, closing at 95.62 per dollar, gaining 16 paise during the session. The yield on India's 10-year benchmark federal paper shed 0.10% to 7.009 compared with the previous session close of 7.016. The US Dollar Index (DXY) was up 0.18% to 100.72, while the US 10-year bond yield shed 0.24% to 4.955.
