Markets at close: Indian indices closed Tuesday’s trade in the green for the second consecutive day. The Nifty 50 reclaimed 23,500 to close at 23,581, rising 172 points or 0.74%. The BSE Sensex surged 568 points or 0.75% to settle at 76,070.
Markets at 1:50 PM: In afternoon trade, the Indian markets saw a steady gain, with the Sensex rising 479.43 points, or 0.63%, to 75,982.28, while the Nifty climbed 148.20 points, also up 0.63%, to 23,557.
Markets 10:30 AM: Indian benchmark indices are trading higher. The Sensex rose about 0.50% to 75,878.67, while the Nifty gained around 0.54% to trade near 23,535.15.
Markets at open: Indian benchmark indices opened on a flat note on Tuesday. The Sensex was trading at 75,457.50, down about 0.06%, while the Nifty 50 slipped around 0.10% to trade near 23,384.60 in early trade.
Markets at pre-open: The global cues may once again set the tone for Dalal Street today. Investors are likely to monitor developments in West Asia closely, as the ongoing tension continues to influence crude oil prices and global market sentiment.
The uncertainty surrounding the conflict has kept investors cautious, and any new updates could impact trading activity.
Apart from geopolitical updates, traders will track global market trends, currency movements and commodity prices.
Early trends suggest a positive opening for the market, as GIFT Nifty was trading near 23,500, up about 111 points or 0.53%.
Previous session: Markets end higher
Indian benchmark indices ended higher on March 16. The Sensex rose about 1.26% to close at 75,502.85, while the Nifty gained around 1.11% to settle at 23,408.80.
Key global and domestic cues to watch on March 17, 2026
Asian markets
Asian markets higher on Tuesday. Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose about 0.75%, while the Topix gained more than 1%. In South Korea, the Kospi climbed around 2.94%, and the small-cap Kosdaq index added about 1.53%. Meanwhile, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 edged up roughly 0.27%.
West Asia tension
Tension in West Asia remain high, marking the 18th day of the conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran. Investors are watching the situation closely as any further escalation could impact crude oil prices and market sentiment.
US Fed meeting in focus
The two-day policy meeting of the Federal Reserve begins on March 17, with the policy decision expected on March 18. The key interest rate is currently in the 3.5%–3.75% range, and investors across global markets will watch the outcome closely for signals on the future rate path.
US Markets
US markets ended higher on March 16. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose about 0.83% to close at 46,946.41. The S&P 500 gained around 1.01% to end at 6,699.38, while the Nasdaq Composite advanced roughly 1.22% to settle at 22,374.18.
US dollar
The US Dollar Index (DXY), which measures the dollar’s value against a basket of six foreign currencies, was trading 0.5% down at 99.86 on Tuesday 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 depreciated 0.04% to close at 92.42 to the dollar on March 16.
Crude Oil
Oil prices moved higher in early Tuesday trade. US West Texas Intermediate crude rose about 2.70% to around $96.05 per barrel, while Brent crude gained roughly 2.57%, trading near $102.45 per barrel.
FII, DII data
Foreign investors sold Indian equities worth around Rs 9,366 crore on March 16, according to provisional exchange data. This was the biggest sell-off since October 28, 2025. In contrast, domestic institutional investors bought shares worth about Rs 12,593 crore.
Gold rate today
In the international market, gold was trading at $5,007 per ounce.
Gold prices in India remain in sharp focus. On the MCX, April 2, 2026, gold futures were trading at Rs 1,55,873 per 10 grams in the latest update.
Top sectors in last trading session
In the last trading session, cement stocks rose about 2.24%, while tobacco stocks gained around 2.04%. The financial services sector also moved higher, advancing roughly 1.55% during the session.
Best and worst performing business group in last trading session
In the last trading session, stocks from the Jaipuria Group rose about 2.97%, while Lakshmi Group Coimbatore gained around 2.91%. Raunaq Group companies were up roughly 2.5%, and Aditya Birla Group stocks advanced about 2.47%. On the other hand, Pennar Group stocks fell nearly 4%, Yash Birla Group declined around 4.36%, and Nagarjuna Group dropped about 4.6%.