Equity benchmarks opened on a positive note Monday morning, with the Sensex gaining 224 points to trade at 77,764.98 against its previous close of 77,540.83, while the Nifty 50 rose 56 points to 24,308.20, up 0.23 per cent from its previous close of 24,252.00. Both indices opened marginally higher, the Sensex at 77,629.56 and the Nifty at 24,285.05, before extending gains in early trade.Infosys led the Nifty gainers, rising 1.71 per cent to ₹1,140.20, followed by Hindalco at ₹1,049.30, up 1.48 per cent, and HCL Technologies at ₹1,321.00, gaining 1.42 per cent. Coal India added 1.00 per cent to ₹409.25, while HDFC Bank rose 0.91 per cent to ₹733.55. On the losing side, Cipla fell the most, down 1.35 per cent to ₹1,412.90, followed by Apollo Hospitals at ₹8,611.50, down 0.94 per cent. Grasim slipped 0.49 per cent to ₹3,291.90, Eternal declined 0.44 per cent to ₹326.55, and Titan fell 0.43 per cent to ₹5,064.20.The positive open was supported by a firm Gift Nifty reading of around 24,383 points ahead of Monday's session, pointing to a recovery after Friday's flat close. Hitesh Tailor, Technical Research Analyst at Choice Broking, noted that the index had "continued to hold above its rising short-term trendline and the 24,000–24,050 zone, keeping the recovery structure intact," though RSI at 49.09 remained neutral and the index stayed below its 50-day moving average.Broader global sentiment remained mixed. US equities snapped a three-week winning streak last week, with the Nasdaq falling 2.8 per cent and the S&P 500 down 1.4 per cent, pressured by rising Treasury yields. The 30-year US yield touched multi-year highs near 5.34 per cent mid-week before easing to 5.27 per cent. Devarsh Vakil, Head of Prime Research at HDFC Securities, flagged that "U.S. gross federal debt crossed the $40 trillion mark for the first time" during the week, adding to concerns around long-end supply and fiscal deficits.Crude oil prices continued to be a focal point for Indian markets. Brent crude remained elevated near $93 a barrel, driven by geopolitical tensions in West Asia and the prospect of fresh US sanctions on Iran. Ponmudi R, CEO of Enrich Money, observed that "Iran has warned of retaliation against countries participating in the US economic war," reinforcing concerns that the confrontation could deepen. Sectors most sensitive to crude, oil marketing companies, paints, aviation, and autos, remained under watch. Vakil noted that "Brent's reaction within the $90–95/bbl range remains the most immediate external macro variable for Indian equities."Asian markets offered little comfort, with Japan's Nikkei 225 down more than 0.5 per cent and South Korea's Kospi falling around 1.5 per cent. Gold, however, continued its third straight week of gains, with futures near $4,600 per ounce as investors moved toward safe-haven assets amid U.S. debt concerns.On the domestic institutional front, DIIs extended their buying streak to nine consecutive sessions, purchasing equities worth ₹2,124 crore on August 21, while FIIs remained net sellers for a second straight session, offloading ₹543 crore. For the full week prior, FIIs recorded net outflows of approximately ₹1,600 crore, while DIIs provided support with inflows exceeding ₹17,300 crore.Dr. V K Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Investments, cautioned that "a breakout beyond 24,600 is unlikely since there are headwinds like elevated crude oil prices and escalating geopolitical tensions." He pointed investors toward the broader market, noting that "segments like CDMO, healthcare, precision engineering and power infrastructure are attracting investors," though he warned that "valuation is important" and investors "should not rush in to buy at any price."Shrikant Chouhan, Head of Equity Research at Kotak Securities, flagged that while the Nifty had recovered after slipping below its 50-day SMA last week, the "short-term trend remains weak." He identified 24,150 on the Nifty and 76,900 on the Sensex as critical support levels, adding that a sustained move above the 20-day SMA around 24,400 could push the index towards 24,500–24,700. For Bank Nifty, which closed at 57,761.95 on August 21, Chouhan noted that "57,500 remains the key trend-deciding level."Investors will keep a close watch on Nvidia's earnings and Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh's address at the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium scheduled for August 27–29, which could set the tone for global risk appetite through the week.Published on August 24, 2026