Sensex, Nifty at 3:30 PM: Markets end in the green after a weak start. The Nifty closed above 23,600 and the Sensex shut shop in positive territory and recivered nearly 1,000 points from the day’s lows. Tec stocks led the recovery with select stocks like Tech Mahindra jumping as much as 4% intra-day.
Speaking on the market movement, Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments, “The prolonged stalemate between the US and Iran continues to cast a shadow over near-term sentiment, yet the equity market managed to recover intraday losses and closed on a flat note, supported by value buying in IT and banking stocks.”
He added that the “ongoing earnings season has provided a constructive narrative, though caution persists as higher bond yields, elevated crude oil prices, and a weakening rupee reinforce inflationary concerns. Investors appear to be adopting a staggered allocation strategy rather than waiting for complete clarity, particularly in export-oriented sectors. A meaningful breakthrough in diplomatic negotiations with Iran—especially regarding uranium stockpiles and sanctions—remains critical for reducing volatility and enabling a decisive upward move in the market.”
Sensex, Nifty at 1:30 PM: At this hour, Indian benchmark indices recovered sharply from the day’s lows and are trading flat. The Sensex was down 59.27 points, or 0.08%, at 75,178.72, while the Nifty slipped 44.95 points, or 0.19%, to trade at 23,598.55.
Sensex, Nifty at 12:30 PM: At this hour, Indian markets recovered from the day’s lows but continued to trade in negative territory. The Sensex was down 344.18 points, or 0.46%, at 74,893.81, while the Nifty slipped 120.80 points, or 0.51%, to 23,522.70.
At this hour, IT stocks were among the key gainers in the market. Tech Mahindra gained 4.23%, while Bharti Airtel rose 2.10%. Infosys advanced 1.89%, followed by HCLTech which added 1.05%, and Tata Consultancy Services which moved up 0.76%.
On the losing side, Trent declined 1.96%, while Eternal slipped 2.03%. State Bank of India fell 2.46%, Power Grid Corporation of India dropped 3.87%, and Tata Steel was down 3.92% at this hour.
Sensex, Nifty at 11:30 AM: At this hour, Indian markets continued to trade under pressure amid weak global cues and rising geopolitical concerns. The Sensex was down 442.53 points, or 0.59%, at 74,795.46, while the Nifty slipped 139.15 points, or 0.59%, to trade at 23,504.35.
Sensex, Nifty at 10:50 AM: At this hour, Indian markets slightly recovered from the sharp early losses, although benchmark indices continued to trade in the red. The Sensex was down 662 points or 0.88% at 74,575.13, while the Nifty slipped 214 points or 0.91% to 23,429.50.
Sensex, Nifty at 10 AM: At this hour, Indian markets were trading sharply lower, with the Sensex down 1,039 points or 1.38% at 74,198.31, while the Nifty slipped 318 points or 1.35% to 23,324.75.
The top losers in the Sensex pack included Trent, which was down 2.84%, followed by State Bank of India falling 2.86%. Eternal declined 2.99%, while Power Grid Corporation of India dropped 4.28%. Tata Steel was among the worst hit, slipping 5.35%.
Sensex, Nifty at open: Indian markets opened sharply lower on Monday, with the Sensex falling 809 points or 1.08% to 74,428.65, while the Nifty slipped 229 points or 0.97% to trade below the 23,500 mark at 23,414 in early trade.
“The market is set to start the week on a weak note from global cues. Brent crude has spiked to $111 on absence of initiatives to open the Strait of Hormuz. Elevated crude may force another round of price hikes in petrol and diesel, which will have negative implications for inflation. The spike in US 10-year bond yield to 4.62 % is another negative factor for EM equity markets. Rupee may further depreciate aggravating the vicious cycle of rupee depreciation and FPI selling,” said Dr. VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments.
“Some measures to strengthen the rupee are due and likely soon.”
“In the present context, export-oriented sectors like pharmaceuticals will continue to be resilient. Leading private sector banks, under pressure from FPI selling, are fundamentally strong and attractively valued. Long-term investors can accumulate these stocks on weakness,” he added further.
Markets before pre-open: Indian markets are expected to open lower on Monday, tracking negative cues globally. The GIFT Nifty slipped in morning trade, down 0.6%.
Market participants are expected to closely monitor crude oil prices, rupee movement, foreign investor flows and developments in West Asia. Investors will also watch whether global diplomatic efforts help reduce geopolitical tension.
For domestic markets, the focus may remain on sectors linked to energy, commodities and exports, while volatility in currency and commodity markets could continue to influence investor sentiment.
Previous session: Markets end higher
Indian markets ended Friday’s session on a weak note, erasing all intraday gains amid late selling pressure. The Nifty slipped 46 points, or 0.19%, to close at 23,644, while the Sensex declined 160 points, or 0.21%, to settle at 75,238.
Key global and domestic cues to watch on May 16, 2026
Asian markets
Asian markets traded lower on Monday. Japan’s Nikkei slipped 0.2%, although the Topix index managed to edge 0.1% higher. South Korean markets saw sharper losses, with both the Kospi and Kosdaq falling over 2%, while Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 declined 0.76%.
Trump’s warning to Iran raises fresh concerns
US President Donald Trump issued a fresh warning to Iran, raising concerns about a possible escalation in Middle East tension and its impact on global oil supplies.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Iran should “get moving, Fast,” and warned that “the Clock is Ticking.” He further added that there “won’t be anything left” if action was not taken soon and said, “Time is of the essence!”
Crude oil
Oil prices moved higher in early trade, with both global benchmarks gaining over 1%. Brent crude rose 1.34% to $110.72 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude climbed 1.75% to $107.26 per barrel.
US Market
US markets ended sharply lower on Friday. The S&P 500 fell 1.24% to close at 7,408.50, while the Nasdaq Composite declined 1.54% to settle at 26,225.14. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also dropped 537.29 points, or 1.07%, to end at 49,526.17.
US dollar
The US Dollar Index (DXY), which measures the dollar’s value against a basket of six foreign currencies, was trading at 99.37 on Monday 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.
Rupee
The Indian rupee hit a record closing low of 95.86 against the US dollar on Friday, May 15, after briefly slipping below the 96 per dollar mark during the trading session.
The sharp fall in the currency was largely driven by elevated crude oil prices, inflation worries and continued pressure from global market uncertainty. So far in 2026, the rupee has weakened more than 6% against the U.S. dollar.
Gold rate today
In the international market, gold was trading at $4,519 per ounce.
Gold prices in India remain in sharp focus. On the MCX, June gold futures were trading at Rs 1,58,450 per 10 grams in the latest update.
Silver rate today
Silver rates are in focus. In the international market, silver (XAG/USD) was trading at around $75.29 per ounce.
The government has tightened rules for silver imports shortly after raising customs duties on precious metals. Under the new notification issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), several silver imports will now come under the “restricted” category instead of “free” import status.
This means businesses will need government approval before importing products such as silver bars, raw silver, semi-finished silver items and silver powder into India.
FII, DII data
On May 15, Foreign Institutional Investors and Foreign Portfolio Investors were net buyers in the Indian equity market as they purchased shares worth Rs 1,329 crore. Meanwhile, Domestic Institutional Investors turned net sellers and offloaded shares worth Rs 1,958 crore during the trading session.
Key sectoral gainers in last trading session
In the last trading session, the Rubber sector emerged among the top gainers, with its market capitalisation rising 1.68%. The Textiles sector also seen strong traction, gaining 1.49% . The Alcoholic Beverages sector advanced 1.43% during the session.
Best and worst performing business group in last trading session
In the last trading session, the Jaypee Group emerged as one of the top gainers, with its market capitalisation rising 8.53%, while the Rane Group gained 5.88%. The Avantha Group also advanced 4.37% during the session.
On the losing side, the Yash Birla Group declined 3.62%, while the Vedanta Group slipped 3.86%. Meanwhile, the Muthoot Group witnessed sharper selling pressure and fell 6.1% in the last trading session.