The S&P BSE Sensex dropped 281 points or 0.3% to 77,728 and the Nifty 50 fell 78 points or 0.3% to 24,288 after CAS adjustments on Monday, August 17, 2026, according to latest market data. The market had initially opened lower but recovered from intraday lows, showing some resilience despite the overall negative sentiment. The Nifty traded below the 24,300 mark with sentiment remaining subdued amid a lack of strong directional cues. Investors continued to monitor movements in crude oil prices, gold, and developments on the global geopolitical front for further indications on the market's near-term trajectory.
Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) turned net sellers, offloading ₹2,535.10 crore on Monday after briefly turning buyers on Friday with net buying of ₹508.12 crore, according to CNBC TV18. The latest data showed FIIs bought equities worth ₹11,546.16 crore and sold shares worth ₹14,081.26 crore, resulting in net selling of ₹2,535.10 crore. Domestic institutional investors (DIIs) significantly stepped up their buying activity, purchasing ₹5,101.46 crore worth of equities, compared with net buying of ₹356.40 crore on Friday. Combined net institutional flow stood at ₹2,566.36 crore of buying on Monday, with DII purchases more than offsetting FII selling. The previous session on Friday saw the Sensex close at 77,966.35, down 0.24%, and the Nifty 50 at 24,435.95, down 0.15%.
Nifty Bank closed 7 points higher at 57,498, while the Midcap index gained 35 points to 63,817, with financial stocks recovering from day's lows to help the banking index close in green. However, IT stocks remained a drag on the Nifty, with three of the top five Nifty losers coming from the sector. Metal stocks saw buying interest tracking global prices, with Hindalco and Tata Steel among the top gainers. Reliance Industries recovered from its intraday lows to end nearly 1% higher, lifting the Nifty by around 20 points. Among individual stocks, Voltas slipped 4% after its Q1 results, with margin recovery seen from Q3. BSE was among the top midcap losers after Jefferies downgraded the stock. Zee Entertainment rose nearly 3% amid reports that SEBI is unlikely to move the Supreme Court against the SAT order. Turtlemint reversed its opening losses to close with a gain of more than 10%.
The Nifty FMCG index fell 0.75% to 48,249.45, extending losses for the second consecutive trading session with a 1.20% decline over two sessions. Major FMCG stocks faced significant pressure, with ITC declining 1.74%, Nestle India down 1.21%, Colgate-Palmolive (India) falling 0.91%, Hindustan Unilever dropping 0.84%, and Godrej Consumer Products declining 0.77%. Other notable declines included Tata Consumer Products down 0.77%, Marico falling 0.54%, United Breweries dropping 0.52%, Britannia Industries declining 0.48%, and Emami down 0.33%. The sustained pressure on FMCG stocks reflects broader market uncertainty and investor caution in the current environment.
Market breadth remained negative despite some sectoral outperformance, with 1,820 shares rising and 2,433 shares declining on the BSE, while 256 shares remained unchanged during the session. The BSE 150 MidCap Index shed 0.02% and the BSE 250 SmallCap Index fell 0.14%, with the broader market underperforming frontline indices. The NSE's India VIX rose 1.48% to 11.47, indicating increased market volatility expectations. The Nifty 25 August 2026 futures were trading at 24,347 at a premium of 58.70 points as compared with the spot at 24,288.30, while the Nifty option chain for 25 August 2026 expiry showed maximum call OI of 96.4 lakh contracts at the 25,000 strike price and maximum put OI of 97.5 lakh contracts at a 24,000 strike price.
