Local stock markets are expected to begin on a subdued note today. The Gift Nifty April 2026 futures are trading 0.13 points lower, suggesting a muted to negative start for the benchmark index today. The domestic equity market finished marginally higher in last session, with BSE Sensex and Nifty 50 slightly higher.The BSE Sensex has slipped 4.39% over the last one month, while the NSE Nifty has eased 4.19% over the same period.

In Asia today, sentiment was mildly upbeat. China’s SSE Composite Index ticked up 0.76% while Japan’s Nikkei 225 edged up 0.82%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index moved higher 0.58%.

Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares worth Rs 3,208 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net buyers to the tune of Rs 3,617 crore in the Indian equity market on 17 September 2026, provisional data showed.

Overnight on Wall Street, stocks edged higher across the board. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up by 316.14 points, or 0.61%, and closed at 51799.04. The S&P 500 inched higher 1.13% to end at 7658.05, and the NASDAQ Composite posted modest gains of 1.68% to 26435.72.

Yesterday, the S&P BSE Sensex ended slightly lower by 21.86 points or 0.03% to 74314.59. The Nifty 50 index slipped 53 points or 0.23% to 23270.60. HDFC Life Insurance Company Ltd was top gainer in Nifty 50 yesterday, moving higher by 5.05% to Rs 557. The stock has inched higher around 1.43% in last one-week and trades lower 10.47% over last one-month.

In sectoral indices, only Nifty Pharma index ticked up yesterday, advancing 1.66% on the day.