Mumbai:
Indian equity benchmark indices, the Sensex and Nifty, started the session in red on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, amid broadly stable yet cautious global cues, as investors await further clarity on geopolitical developments. While the 30-share BSE Sensex shed 253.99 points or 0.32 per cent to start the session at 79,019.34, the Nifty fell 105.75 points to open at 24,470.85. In the last trading session, the Sensex closed at 79,273.33 and the Nifty 50 at 24,576.60. Similarly, the broader indices traded in the red in the opening session. While the BSE Midcap Select Index was down by 28 points, the BSE Smallcap Select Index fell 24.19 points or 0.30 per cent, to trade at 8,034.50.
From the Sensex pack, Trent, Hindustan Unilever, Bajaj Finance, Sun Pharma, and UltraTech Cement were among the gainers, with Trent leading the pack by gaining 1.22 per cent in the early trade. On the other hand, IT stocks like HCLTech, Tech Mahindra, Infosys, TCS, and ICICI Bank were in the red, with HCL Technologies the biggest loser, falling 7.28 per cent. The fall comes after
weak quarterly results.
In early trade, market breadth was positive, with 1,515 stocks advancing against 1,104 stocks declining on the NSE. 130 stocks remained unchanged.
"24,500/79,000 will act as immediate support zones. Above these levels, the market could continue its positive move towards 25,750–25,800/79,800–80,000. Conversely, below 24,500/79,000, we could see a sharp intraday correction. Below these levels, the market could retest the 24,350–24,300 / 78,700–78,500 levels. A close below the level of 24300 could be negative for the market," said Shrikant Chouhan, Head Equity Research, Kotak Securities.
What did Gift Nifty indicate?
Gift Nifty, an early indicator for the Nifty 50, indicated a negative start as it opened with a fall of 142 points at 24,433, compared to the previous close of 24,575. Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) were net sellers with outflows of 1,918.99 crore on April 21, 2026. However, Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) turned net buyers with inflows of around Rs 2,221.27 crore.
Asian Markets Today
Asian stocks traded mixed, indicating a risk-off tone across regions despite President Donald Trump's extension of the US–Iran ceasefire. While Japan's Nikkei 225 gained 191.83 points or 0.32 per cent to trade at 59,541, Hong Kong's Hang Seng was down by 279.48 points or 1.06 per cent. Similarly, South Korea's Kospi traded in the red with a drop of 10.45 points at the time of writing the report. However, Shanghai's SSE Composite index gained 9.99 points or 0.24 per cent.
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