Stock Market Today (24 August 2026): Sensex Falls 172 Points, Nifty Slips Below 24,250 as Financial Stocks Drag Market

The Indian stock market ended lower on 24 August 2026, reversing the gains seen during the opening hours of the session.

The BSE Sensex fell 171.72 points, or 0.22%, to close at 77,369.11. The Nifty 50 declined 32.95 points, or 0.14%, to settle at 24,219.05.

The market had started the session on a positive note, supported by softer crude oil prices and favourable GIFT Nifty cues. However, the early gains gradually faded as investors became cautious ahead of details regarding new US sanctions against Iran.

The Nifty slipped below the 24,250 level and ended close to the important 24,200 zone.

The broader market remained mixed. The Nifty Midcap 100 gained around 0.1%, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 declined around 0.3%.

Market breadth also turned negative, with approximately 1,820 stocks declining against 1,740 advancing, while 113 remained unchanged.

𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀

• Sensex closed at 77,369.11, down 171.72 points.
• Nifty 50 ended at 24,219.05, down 32.95 points.
• Nifty declined around 0.14%.
• Sensex declined around 0.22%.
• Nifty gave up its early gains and closed below 24,250.
• Nifty remained close to the important 24,200 support zone.
• Nifty Midcap 100 gained around 0.1%.
• Nifty Smallcap 100 declined around 0.3%.
• Nifty Metal gained around 1.6%.
• Nifty PSU Bank declined around 1% and was the weakest major sector.
• Financial stocks remained under pressure.
• IT stocks provided some support.
• FIIs turned net buyers of around ₹1,181.66 crore.
• DIIs remained strong buyers with net purchases of around ₹2,493.41 crore.
• Rupee closed around ₹95.745 per US dollar.
• Brent crude remained around the $93 per barrel area.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗙𝗮𝗹𝗹?

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝘁 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴

Profit booking was one of the key reasons behind the market's decline.

The Nifty had recovered during the previous two sessions after suffering a prolonged losing streak. After the recent rebound, investors preferred to book profits at higher levels.

This prevented the benchmark indices from sustaining their early gains.

𝗨𝗦 𝗦𝗮𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗜𝗿𝗮𝗻

Geopolitical uncertainty remained one of the biggest concerns for investors.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was expected to provide details of new sanctions against Iran.

Iran had warned that continued economic pressure could lead to restrictions on oil exports from the Gulf.

This raised concerns about potential disruptions to global energy supplies and kept investors cautious.

𝗘𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗖𝗿𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝗢𝗶𝗹

Crude oil prices remained elevated despite falling more than 1% during Monday's session.

Brent crude remained around $93 per barrel.

For India, higher crude prices remain a major concern because the country imports a large portion of its crude requirements.

Expensive oil can increase India's import bill, put pressure on the rupee and create additional inflationary pressure.

𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲

Financial stocks were among the biggest drags on the market.

The financial services index declined around 0.4%, while PSU Banks fell close to 1%.

SBI Life, Bajaj Finance and Bajaj Finserv were among the notable financial stocks under pressure.

𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀

𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗹𝘀

Metal stocks were the strongest sector of the session.

The Nifty Metal index surged around 1.6%.

JSW Steel, Hindalco and Tata Steel were among the major gainers.

The strength in metal stocks provided some support to the benchmark indices and helped limit the broader market decline.

𝗜𝗧

IT stocks also performed relatively well.

Infosys and HCL Technologies were among the notable gainers.

The IT sector provided some support after remaining under pressure during the previous week.

𝗣𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗮

Selected pharma stocks also showed resilience.

Dr. Reddy's Laboratories was among the Nifty stocks that gained during the session.

𝗪𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀

𝗣𝗦𝗨 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀

PSU Banks were the weakest major sector.

The Nifty PSU Bank index declined around 1%.

Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank, State Bank of India and Punjab National Bank were among the stocks facing selling pressure.

Recent gains in PSU Bank stocks also encouraged some profit booking.

𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀

Financial Services stocks also remained weak.

SBI Life, Bajaj Finance and Bajaj Finserv were among the major stocks weighing on the market.

The weakness in heavyweight financial names offset gains in metals and IT.

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗸𝘀

Consumer-related stocks remained mixed as investors preferred sectors showing stronger relative momentum.

𝗧𝗼𝗽 𝗚𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀

The major Nifty gainers included:

• JSW Steel
• Hindalco Industries
• Tata Steel
• HCL Technologies
• Infosys
• Dr. Reddy's Laboratories
• Bajaj Auto
• Mahindra & Mahindra
• InterGlobe Aviation
• Adani Enterprises

JSW Steel, Hindalco and Tata Steel were among the strongest Nifty performers, benefiting from broad-based buying in metal stocks.

𝗧𝗼𝗽 𝗟𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘀

The major Nifty losers included:

• SBI Life Insurance
• Bajaj Finance
• Bajaj Finserv
• Bharat Electronics
• Adani Ports
• Grasim Industries
• Power Grid Corporation
• State Bank of India

SBI Life, Bajaj Finance and Adani Ports were among the notable losers.

Bharat Electronics also remained under pressure and declined more than 1%.

𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀

𝗝𝗦𝗪 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗹

JSW Steel was among the strongest Nifty performers on 24 August.

The stock gained around 1.6%, supported by strong buying across the Metal sector.

The broader Nifty Metal index also gained around 1.6%, making metals the standout sector of the session.

𝗛𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗹𝗰𝗼

Hindalco Industries also attracted strong buying interest.

The stock was among the leading Nifty gainers as investors continued to favour metal stocks.

𝗧𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗹

Tata Steel gained around 1.86% and outperformed the broader market.

The stock's strength was part of the broader rally in metal companies.

𝗛𝗖𝗟 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀

HCL Technologies was among the IT stocks providing support to the Nifty.

The stock gained despite the broader market weakness, reflecting selective buying in technology companies.

𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝘀𝘆𝘀

Infosys also advanced during the session.

The recovery in selected IT stocks helped offset some of the selling pressure in financial stocks.

𝗦𝗕𝗜 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲

SBI Life was among the major Nifty losers.

Selling in insurance and financial stocks contributed to the weakness in the Financial Services segment.

𝗕𝗮𝗷𝗮𝗷 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲

Bajaj Finance declined around 1.26% and underperformed the broader market.

The weakness reflected profit booking and selling across selected financial stocks.

𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗶 𝗣𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀

Adani Ports also remained under pressure.

The stock declined around 0.66% during the session.

𝗕𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗰𝘀

Bharat Electronics was among the weaker Nifty stocks.

The stock declined more than 1% and remained under selling pressure.

𝗕𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲

The broader market delivered a mixed performance.

The Nifty Midcap 100 gained around 0.1%, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 declined around 0.3%.

Market breadth on the NSE was slightly negative, with around 1,820 stocks declining compared with 1,740 advancing.

This indicated that selling was relatively broad-based even though selected sectors such as Metals and IT remained strong.

𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆

Institutional flows provided an important positive signal on 24 August.

Foreign Institutional Investors turned net buyers, purchasing approximately ₹1,181.66 crore worth of Indian equities.

Domestic Institutional Investors remained strong buyers, with net purchases of approximately ₹2,493.41 crore.

FII gross purchases were approximately ₹12,332.64 crore, while gross sales stood at around ₹11,150.98 crore.

DIIs purchased approximately ₹15,337.18 crore and sold around ₹12,843.77 crore.

The combined institutional buying provided some support to the market despite the weak headline indices.

𝗥𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗿𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝗢𝗶𝗹

The Indian rupee remained relatively stable against the US dollar.

The rupee closed around ₹95.745 per US dollar on 24 August.

The Reserve Bank of India continued to intervene through state-run banks, helping keep the currency within a relatively narrow range.

The near-term trading range for the rupee was seen around ₹95.50–₹96.50 per dollar.

Crude oil remained one of the most important risks for the Indian economy.

Brent crude remained around $93 per barrel despite falling more than 1% during Monday's session.

Investors remained concerned that further escalation in the Middle East could disrupt oil supplies or shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

𝗚𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀

US-Iran developments remained at the centre of investor attention.

The United States was preparing new sanctions against Iran, while Iran warned that continued economic pressure could affect oil exports from the Gulf.

The market was particularly sensitive to developments around the Strait of Hormuz, given its importance for global oil transportation.

Any significant disruption could push crude prices higher and increase inflationary pressure on oil-importing economies such as India.

𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗖𝘂𝗲𝘀

Global markets remained cautious due to geopolitical risks and uncertainty around monetary policy.

Investors were watching the Jackson Hole Symposium for signals regarding the Federal Reserve's interest-rate outlook.

Higher US Treasury yields continued to influence global risk appetite.

Markets were also preparing for Nvidia's earnings, scheduled for later in the week, which could influence global technology stocks and sentiment towards the broader IT sector.

𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸

The Nifty closed at 24,219.05, remaining close to the important 24,200 support level.

The immediate support zone is around 24,145–24,200.

A decisive break below 24,145 could increase selling pressure and push the index towards the psychological 24,000 level.

On the upside, 24,300 remains the key resistance.

A sustained breakout above 24,300 could open the way towards 24,400–24,500.

Technical indicators remained relatively weak. The RSI was around 46, below the neutral 50 level, while the MACD remained bearish.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁

Investors will closely monitor:

• Nifty's ability to hold 24,200
• Nifty resistance around 24,300
• Crude oil prices around the $93 level
• US sanctions on Iran
• Developments around the Strait of Hormuz
• US Treasury yields
• Federal Reserve commentary at Jackson Hole
• Nvidia earnings
• FII and DII flows
• Rupee movement around ₹96 per dollar
• IT sector performance
• Metal stocks
• PSU Bank performance
• Global equity market cues

𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸

The short-term market outlook remains cautious and range-bound.

The Nifty is holding close to the 24,200 support zone, but it has not yet been able to decisively cross the 24,300 resistance.

The strength in Metal and IT stocks is encouraging, but continued weakness in Financials and PSU Banks is limiting the upside.

The biggest external risk remains crude oil.

If geopolitical tensions cause another sharp rise in oil prices, Indian equities could come under renewed pressure.

At the same time, strong DII buying and FII buying of more than ₹1,100 crore on 24 August provide some cushion to the market.

Long-term investors should continue focusing on fundamentally strong companies rather than reacting to daily market volatility.

Short-term traders should closely monitor the 24,145–24,300 range and maintain disciplined risk management.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁?

If the Nifty holds above 24,200 and crude oil prices remain under control, the index could attempt a recovery towards 24,300–24,400.

A decisive breakout above 24,300 could improve market sentiment and potentially take the Nifty towards 24,500.

On the other hand, a sustained break below 24,145 could increase selling pressure towards 24,000.

A further rise in crude oil prices or escalation in US-Iran tensions could create additional volatility.

The next major market direction is therefore likely to depend on crude oil, geopolitical developments, global bond yields, institutional flows and the ability of the Nifty to reclaim 24,300.

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻

The Indian stock market ended lower on 24 August 2026, with the Sensex falling 171.72 points and the Nifty declining 32.95 points.

The Sensex closed at 77,369.11, while the Nifty settled at 24,219.05.

The market surrendered its early gains as investors turned cautious ahead of fresh US sanctions against Iran and remained concerned about elevated crude oil prices.

Metal stocks were the biggest bright spot, with the Nifty Metal index gaining around 1.6%. JSW Steel, Hindalco and Tata Steel were among the leading gainers.

On the other hand, PSU Banks and Financial Services were among the biggest drags. The Nifty PSU Bank index fell around 1%, while SBI Life, Bajaj Finance and Bajaj Finserv were among the major losers.

Institutional activity was comparatively positive. FIIs turned net buyers with purchases of around ₹1,181.66 crore, while DIIs bought approximately ₹2,493.41 crore.

The rupee closed around ₹95.745 per US dollar, while Brent crude remained near $93 per barrel, keeping oil and geopolitical developments as key market risks.

Going forward, the 24,200 support and 24,300 resistance levels will remain important for the Nifty. Crude oil prices, US-Iran developments, Federal Reserve commentary, FII-DII flows and global market cues are expected to determine the next major market move.