Local stock markets are expected to begin on a subdued note today. The Gift Nifty April 2026 futures have edged lower by 0.18 points, hinting at a soft opening for the benchmark index today. The domestic equity market ended slightly higher in last session, with BSE Sensex and Nifty 50 in positive territory.The BSE Sensex has eased 3.46% over the last one month, while the NSE Nifty has posted modest losses of 3.45% over the same period.

In Asia today, sentiment was modestly positive. China’s SSE Composite Index moved higher 0.44% while Japan’s Nikkei 225 posted modest gains of 1.38%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index inched higher 0.54%.

Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares worth Rs 576 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net buyers to the tune of Rs 2,797 crore in the Indian equity market on 21 September 2026, provisional data showed.

Overnight on Wall Street, stocks posted modest gains across the board. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was modestly higher by 366.19 points, or 0.71%, and closed at 52069.83. The S&P 500 ticked up 0.02% to end at 7847.25, and the NASDAQ Composite posted modest gains of 2.25% to 27141.59.

Yesterday, the S&P BSE Sensex edged up 564.03 points or 0.76% to 74858.99. The Nifty 50 index moved higher by 67.90 points or 0.29% to 23414.30. Eternal Ltd was top gainer in Nifty 50 yesterday, rising slightly by 2.77% to Rs 335.90. The stock has edged up around 1.43% in last one-week and trades lower 10.47% over last one-month.

In sectoral indices, only Nifty Pharma index edged up yesterday, adding 1.16% on the day.