No visible progress in the West Asia conflict continues to unsettle global markets. Asian equities opened lower, reflecting persistent geopolitical anxiety, while crude oil briefly climbed close to $109 a barrel before easing. Gold remained volatile.
Gift Nifty, which closed at 24,110 on Monday night, slipped to 24,032 this morning, signalling a weak start for Indian markets.
Iran’s fresh proposal—suggesting that the Strait of Hormuz could reopen if sanctions are lifted and the war ends—has not drawn a formal response from the US. Reports indicate dissatisfaction from President Donald Trump. Meanwhile, Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi held talks with Pakistani leaders, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio rejected Tehran’s demand to keep nuclear issues off the table.
US markets showed caution despite some optimism around the conflict.
Dow Jones fell 62.92 points (0.13 percent) to close at 49,167.79
S&P 500 gained 8.83 points (0.12 percent) to 7,173.91
Nasdaq rose 50.50 points (0.20 percent) to 24,887.10
US futures were trading higher this morning:
Dow futures up 80 points (0.16 percent)
S&P 500 futures up 12 points (0.17 percent)
Nasdaq futures up 36 points (0.13 percent)
Nvidia continued its strong rally, rising 4.1 percent during trading to close at $216.61 and gaining further to $218.60 in after-hours trade. Its market capitalisation crossed $5.26 trillion.
The stock has doubled over the past 12 months and gained 16 percent so far in 2026. Several analysts have set a target price of $268. CEO Jensen Huang’s net worth rose to $187.1 billion, making him the seventh richest person globally.
Indian ADRs in New York ended mostly higher in extended trade:
HDFC Bank rose 1.01 percent to $25.97
ICICI Bank gained 1.63 percent to $27.99
Infosys recovered slightly after a 4.51 percent fall to close at $12.32
Wipro remained flat at $2.05 after a 0.49 percent gain
European markets declined on Monday amid continued war concerns.
Asian markets, which had gained earlier, turned weak today:
Nikkei (Japan) down 0.50 percent
Kospi (South Korea) down 0.50 percent
Australia index down 0.55 percent
China and Hong Kong markets down around 0.40 percent
Indian equities posted strong gains on Monday despite rising crude prices.
Broad-based rally led by mid cap and small cap stocks
Strong buying in IT, realty, pharma, consumer durables, healthcare, auto, metal and media
Flows:
FIIs sold ₹1,151.48 crore
DIIs bought ₹4,123.92 crore
Key indices:
Sensex rose 639.42 points (0.83 percent) to 77,303.63
Nifty gained 194.75 points (0.81 percent) to 24,092.70
Bank Nifty up 174.55 points (0.31 percent) to 56,264.30
Midcap 100 surged 1.47 percent
Smallcap 100 jumped 1.90 percent
Market breadth remained strong, with gainers outnumbering losers significantly on both BSE and NSE.
Notable movers:
Cohance Life Sciences surged 20 percent after leadership change
Tanla Platforms jumped 20 percent on strong Q4 results
Bajaj Housing Finance: Revenue up 15.9 percent; net profit up 14.1 percent
AU Small Finance Bank: Net profit surged 65.1 percent
City Union Bank: Announced 1:3 bonus issue; net interest income up 31 percent, profit up 25 percent
UltraTech Cement: Revenue up 12 percent; profit up 20 percent; declared special dividend of ₹240 per share
Gold continued to swing amid geopolitical uncertainty.
Closed at $4,681.20 per ounce, down $27.70
Moved between $4,666 and $4,731 during the session
Trading around $4,687 this morning
In Kerala:
22-carat gold fell ₹240 to ₹1,12,720 per sovereign
Silver:
Closed at $75.39 per ounce; edged up to $75.45
Other metals:
Platinum: $1,984
Palladium: $1,448
Rhodium: $9,650
Copper fell 0.14 percent to $13,211.35 per tonne
Aluminium dropped 0.53 percent to $3,578.33
Nickel and tin gained; lead and zinc declined
Rubber (Bangkok, RSS3): $277.10 per quintal
Cocoa down 3.93 percent to $3,296 per tonne
Coffee down 2.17 percent to 288.50 cents per pound
Palm oil down 1.37 percent to 4,534 ringgit per tonne
Urea down 0.25 percent to $690.50 per tonne
DAP steady at $725 per tonne
Dollar index steady at 98.50; slightly higher at 98.52 this morning
Euro at $1.1714; pound at $1.3522
Yen at 159.47 per dollar
Yuan at 6.82 per dollar
US 10-year bond yield rose to 4.346 percent.
Rupee gained slightly, closing at 94.19 against the dollar (up 6 paise)
NDF market indicates weaker opening at 94.29
Brent crude rose to $108.89 per barrel before easing
WTI crude at $97.15
Bitcoin fell below $77,370
Ether below $2,310
Solana below $85
Sensex: 77,303.63 (+0.83%)
Nifty 50: 24,092.70 (+0.81%)
Bank Nifty: 56,264.30 (+0.31%)
Midcap 100: 60,248.35 (+1.47%)
Smallcap 100: 17,900.65 (+1.90%)
Dow Jones: 49,167.79 (-0.13%)
S&P 500: 7,173.91 (+0.12%)
Nasdaq: 24,887.10 (+0.20%)
Dollar: ₹94.19 (-₹0.06)
Gold ($/oz): 4,681.20 (-27.70)
Gold (sovereign): ₹1,12,720 (-₹240)
Brent crude: $108.23 (+2.90)
