Markets at close: The domestic equity indices surged in Friday’s trade, but closed off highs. The Nifty 50 settled 112 points or 0.49% higher at 23,114.50, while the BSE Sensex surged 325.72 points or 0.44% to end at 74,532.96.
Bucking the trend, the Nifty Bank closed 24 points pr 0.04% lower at 53,427.
Markets at 10:30 am: The market was trading firmly in the green, with the Sensex up 885 points or 1.19% at 75,092.29, while the Nifty 50 gained 276 points, or 1.2%, to trade at 23,278.55.
Markets at open: The Indian stock market opened on a strong note on Friday, with the Sensex rising over 800 points to 74,850.96 and the Nifty climbing over 200 points to 23,213.05.
Markets at pre-open: Global cues are set to guide the market mood today, with investors closely tracking developments in West Asia along with movements in currencies, commodities, and international equities.
Early indications, for Indian markets, point to a slightly positive start, with GIFT Nifty hovering around the 23,100-23,200 range, showing a mild uptick of about 0.22%,
Previous session: Markets end lower
The Indian stock market saw a sharp fall on March 19, with both benchmark indices ending over 3% lower. The Sensex dropped 2,497 points to close at 74,207, while the Nifty fell 775 points to settle near 23,002.This was the worst single day loss for the indices since June 2024.
Key global and domestic cues to watch on March 20, 2026
Asian markets
Asian markets are muted on Friday, with most indices trading lower. Japan’s markets remained shut due to a public holiday. South Korea’s Kospi rose 1% and the Kosdaq also gained around 0.94%. Meanwhile, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 slipped slightly, falling about 0.27% in early trade.
West Asia conflict intensifies
The conflict between the United States and Iran has taken a sharp turn in recent weeks, with tensions rising rapidly since late February 2026. A major escalation came after joint US and Israeli strikes killed Iran’s top leadership, leading to a sudden shift in power. In response, Iran launched missiles and drone attacks targeting US bases and key locations across the Gulf region, including areas in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, while also striking Israel and Jordan.
The situation has continued to worsen, with both sides expanding their attacks. Israel has carried out deeper strikes inside Iran, focusing on naval and energy facilities such as the South Pars gas field. Meanwhile, Iran has stepped up its retaliation with missile strikes on Israeli cities and attacks on energy infrastructure in countries like Qatar and Saudi Arabia. As the conflict enters its third week, concerns around global energy supply and market stability are increasing.
Oil & gas in focus after Qatar LNG hit
Tension in the Middle East have escalated further, with Iran launching an attack on a major gas facility in Qatar in response to earlier strikes on its own South Pars gas field. The damage is expected to have a long-term impact on global energy supplies. As per reports, the attack has knocked out nearly 17% of the country’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) export capacity.
US Market
On March 19, US markets ended lower, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling 0.44% to close at 46,021.43. The S&P 500 also slipped 0.27% to end at 6,606.49, while the Nasdaq Composite declined 0.28% to settle at 22,090.69.
US dollar
The US Dollar Index (DXY), which measures the dollar’s value against a basket of six foreign currencies, was trading 0.08% up at 99.29 on Thursday morning. The index evaluates the strength or weakness of the US dollar in comparison to major currencies. The basket contains currencies such as the British Pound, Euro, Swedish Krona, Japanese Yen, Swiss Franc, etc. The rupee appreciated 0.27% to close at 92.63 to the dollar on March 19.
Crude oil
Oil prices eased slightly in early Friday trade, with US WTI crude falling around 1.2% to near $94 per barrel. Brent crude also saw a mild decline of about 0.9%, trading close to $108 per barrel.
FII, DII data
On March 19, foreign investors (FIIs/FPIs) sold Indian equities worth Rs 7,558 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) stepped in as buyers, purchasing shares worth Rs 3,864 crore, as per provisional exchange data.
Gold rate today
In the international market, gold was trading at $4,648 per ounce.
Gold prices in India remain in sharp focus. On the MCX, April 2, 2026, gold futures were trading at Rs 1,43,844 per 10 grams in the latest update.
Top sectors in last trading session
In the last trading session, sugar sector gained 0.58%, while ethanol slipped 0.43%. The SME segment declined 0.74%, and REITs and InvITs were also under pressure, falling 0.86%.
Best and worst performing business group in last trading session
In the last trading session, among the gainers, Jaypee Group stood out as the top gainer, rising 10.73%, while Raunaq Group and BK Birla Group posted marginal gains of 0.38% and 0.16%, respectively. On the downside, Kalyani Group fell 4.76%, Jindal BC Group declined 4.95%, Shriram Group dropped 6.42%, and Manipal Group saw the sharpest fall of 6.68%.