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EQUITY
Post Session: Quick Review
Aug-13-2026

Indian equity markets ended mixed on Thursday as investors remained cautious amid heightened geopolitical tensions, with attacks on ships in the Middle East continuing and the U.S. and Iran remaining deadlocked over efforts to bring an end to their five-month-old war. However, losses were limited by softer-than-expected U.S. inflation data, which eased expectations of a near-term Federal Reserve rate hike.

The BSE Sensex managed to close marginally above the neutral line, supported by selective buying in financial and IT stocks. During the afternoon session, there was volatility in the index ahead of the weekly F&O expiry.

In contrast, the Nifty 50 ended marginally lower as Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) broke their buying streak and turned net sellers. Sentiment remained subdued amid broad-based selling pressure in heavyweight stocks.

Some of the important factors in trade:

FIIs turns net sellers: Traders were cautious as FIIs sold equities worth Rs 1,002.50 crore on a net basis on August 12, 2026.

Retail inflation rises to 4.45% in July: Investor also remained cautious after data showed retail inflation, measured by the All India Consumer Price Index (CPI) with the base year 2024, rose to 4.45% (Provisional) in July 2026 from 4.38% (Final) in June 2026, as food prices remained elevated.

RBI draft rules on harmonised interest rate determination: Traders took note of the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) draft rules on harmonised interest rate determination, aimed at aligning the policies applicable to banks and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs).

On the global front: European markets were trading mostly lower, as traders remained cautious amid the resurgence of Middle East tensions and the resulting recent spike in crude oil prices, fueling inflation concerns. Asian markets ended mixed even as technology shares extended gains on renewed optimism over artificial-intelligence spending. 

The BSE Sensex ended at 78079.96, up by 113.61 points or 0.15% after trading in a range of 77665.89 and 78119.39. There were 16 stocks advancing against 14 stocks declining on the index. (Provisional)

The top gaining sectoral indices on the BSE were Realty up by 1.46%, Telecom up by 1.01%, FMCG up by 0.97%, Industrials up by 0.83% and IT up by 0.49%, while Metal down by 0.97%, Basic Materials down by 0.51%, Energy down by 0.23%, Bankex down by 0.11% and Oil & Gas down by 0.04% were the top losing indices on BSE. (Provisional)

The top gainers on the Sensex were Interglobe Aviation up by 1.84%, Eternal up by 1.74%, Larsen & Toubro up by 1.40%, Bharat Electronics up by 1.36% and Hindustan Unilever up by 1.29%. On the flip side, Titan Company down by 1.36%, ICICI Bank down by 1.33%, Ultratech Cement down by 1.32%, Reliance Industries down by 0.92% and Infosys down by 0.88% were the top losers. (Provisional)

Meanwhile, marking a significant step towards strengthening trade and economic engagement between India and the Southern African states, India and the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) have signed the Terms of Reference (ToR) for negotiations towards a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA). The signing of the ToR reflects the shared commitment of India and SACU to advancing mutually beneficial trade relations and lays the foundation for negotiations towards a balanced, mutually beneficial and development-oriented PTA. The five SACU member states are Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa.

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal has called for a balanced, fair and equitable trade agreement between India and SACU, emphasising that the partnership can help diversify markets and create opportunities for both sides to prosper. He said India can play an important role in supplying affordable medicines and supporting the development of new talent in the IT sector in the SACU region. He added that India can also help integrate SACU countries into global supply chains in areas where their businesses are competitive and where skills and talent can be developed or are already available.

Executive Director, Ministry of International Relations and Trade, Government of the Republic of Namibia, Ndiitah Nghipondoka-Robiati, welcomed the signing of the ToR as an important step towards formalising SACU-India engagement and providing structure, transparency and predictability to the forthcoming negotiations. Highlighting India’s importance as a strategic partner and a pillar of South-South cooperation, she noted the longstanding relationship between India and Africa through trade, investment, capacity building and development cooperation.   

The CNX Nifty ended at 24395.85, down by 40.10 points or 0.16% after trading in a range of 24311.40 and 24431.60. There were 28 stocks advancing against 22 stocks declining on the index.

The top gainers on Nifty were Tata Consumer Products up by 2.69%, Tata Motors Passenger up by 1.92%, Hindustan Unilever up by 1.41%, NTPC up by 1.41% and Shriram Finance up by 1.35%. On the flip side, Hindalco Industries down by 2.99%, ICICI Bank down by 1.74%, Ultratech Cement down by 1.56%, Grasim Industries down by 1.54% and Power Grid Corporation of India down by 1.06% were the top losers. (Provisional)

European markets were trading mostly in green; Germany’s DAX gained 146.33 points or 0.56% to 26,477.40 and France’s CAC rose 21.96 points or 0.25% to 8,696.90, while UK’s FTSE 100 decreased 33.48 points or 0.31% to 10,799.67.

Asian markets ended mixed on Thursday as US consumer inflation data suggested a cooling trend and reduced the likelihood of a Federal Reserve rate hike, while investors remained cautious ahead of the release of US producer price index later today and readings on retail sales and consumer sentiment due on Friday. Besides, traders kept close eye on crude oil price movements and developments in the Iran conflict after talks between Washington and Tehran to end the war hit an impasse. South Korea’s Kospi surged as major chipmakers rallied following an overnight rise in US technology stocks, while the South Korean government also plans to ease regulations for semiconductor and AI megaprojects that expected to generate 4.2 trillion South Korean won in investment.

Asian Indices

Last Trade            

Change in Points

Change in %      

Shanghai Composite

3,926.97

-19.71

-0.50

Hang Seng

25,396.51

-43.66

-0.17

Jakarta Composite

6,301.77

-72.09

-1.13

KLSE Composite

1,734.71

-6.90

-0.40

Nikkei 225

68,308.59

784.53

1.16

Straits Times

5,720.05

-0.70

-0.01

KOSPI Composite

6,813.34

234.30

3.56

Taiwan Weighted

46,021.48

503.41

1.11
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