<p>Gift Nifty was slightly higher, Asian markets traded slightly lower</p><br>

Local stock markets are likely to start on a cautious note today. The Gift Nifty April 2026 futures are trading 0.04 points higher, suggesting a mildly positive start for the benchmark index today. The domestic equity market finished marginally lower in last session, with BSE Sensex and Nifty 50 in negative territory. Both the indices have risen slightly 2% over last one-month.

In Asia today, sentiment was subdued. China’s SSE Composite Index posted modest losses of 0.31% while Japan’s Nikkei 225 inched higher 0.11%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index slipped 0.32%.

Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth Rs 1,181 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net buyers to the tune of Rs 2,493 crore in the Indian equity market on 24 August 2026, provisional data showed.

Overnight on Wall Street, stocks posted modest losses across the board. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was slightly higher by 140.15 points, or 0.26%, and closed at 53438.16. The S&P 500 drifted lower 0.28% to end at 7673.82, and the NASDAQ Composite posted modest losses of 0.77% to 26000.66.

Yesterday, the S&P BSE Sensex eased 171.72 points or 0.22% to 77369.11. The Nifty 50 index edged lower 32.95 points or 0.14% to 24219.05. JSW Steel Ltd was top gainer in Nifty 50 yesterday, posting modest gains of 2.57% to Rs 1327. The stock has risen slightly around 1.43% in last one-week and stands lower 10.47% over last one-month.

In sectoral indices, only Nifty Metal index moved higher yesterday, gaining 1.59% on the day.