Local stock markets are expected to begin on a subdued note today. The Gift Nifty April 2026 futures are up 0.25 points, indicating a slightly firm opening for the benchmark index today. The domestic equity market posted modest gains in last session, with BSE Sensex and Nifty 50 a tad higher.The BSE Sensex has risen slightly 0.53% over the last one month, while the NSE Nifty has eased 0.31% over the same period.

In Asia today, sentiment was slightly weaker. China’s SSE Composite Index posted modest gains of 0.21% while Japan’s Nikkei 225 drifted lower 1.21%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index edged lower 0.52%.

Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth Rs 1,165 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net sellers to the tune of Rs 3,661 crore in the Indian equity market on 18 October 2026, provisional data showed.

Overnight on Wall Street, stocks eased across the board. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was slightly lower by 175.28 points, or 0.34%, and closed at 52023.41. The S&P 500 slipped 1.07% to end at 7682.22, and the NASDAQ Composite posted modest losses of 2.11% to 26169.77.

Yesterday, the S&P BSE Sensex ended slightly higher 413.66 points or 0.56% to 74729.27. The Nifty 50 index edged up 148.80 points or 0.65% to 23146.15. Tech Mahindra Ltd was top gainer in Nifty 50 yesterday, inching higher 8.48% to Rs 1790. The stock has posted modest gains of around 1.43% in last one-week and remains down 10.47% over last one-month.

In sectoral indices, only Nifty IT index ended slightly higher yesterday, up 3.92% on the day.