Domestic equity benchmarks kicked off the trading session on September 17, 2026, on a muted and watchful note following mixed cues from international markets. Right from the opening bell, the two headline indices traded in contrasting directions. While the BSE benchmark slipped marginally into the red, the NSE Nifty 50 demonstrated resilience by sustaining its position above the key psychological threshold of 23,200 points.
Opening Bell Performance of Major Indices
During initial deals, the Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex declined by 55.37 points, or 0.07 percent, to trade at 74,281.08. Conversely, the National Stock Exchange Nifty gained 7.30 points, or 0.03 percent, edging higher to 23,224.90. Despite the flat performance of the benchmark gauges, underlying market breadth remained tilted toward the buyers. Approximately 1,146 shares advanced in morning trade, compared with 1,017 declining stocks, while 166 shares remained completely unchanged from their previous closing levels.
Top Performers and Stocks Under Pressure
On the stock-specific front, non-banking financial heavyweights provided substantial support to the broader indices. Bajaj Finance led the pack of top gainers on the Nifty 50, advancing 2.00 percent, closely followed by Shriram Finance, which climbed 1.94 percent. Other prominent counters that witnessed solid buying interest included Bharat Electronics, Eternal, HDFC Life, Mahindra & Mahindra, Asian Paints, Reliance Industries, and Power Grid Corp.
In contrast, selling pressure was prominently felt across information technology exporters and selected private lenders. ONGC emerged as the leading laggard with a drop of 1.16 percent, followed by HCL Tech, which retreated 0.92 percent. Other technology bellwethers such as Tech Mahindra, TCS, Wipro, and Infosys traded in negative territory alongside private banking heavyweight HDFC Bank, keeping the Sensex under check.
Sectoral Trends and Global Backdrop
Sector-wise, the Nifty IT index was the solitary sector in negative territory, slipping 0.49 percent in early trade. Every other sectoral gauge traded firmly in positive territory. Nifty PSU Bank advanced 0.53 percent, Nifty PSE added 0.52 percent, and Nifty Infra picked up 0.46 percent. Moderate buying was also visible in defensive spaces, with Nifty Pharma gaining 0.37 percent and Nifty Energy rising 0.36 percent. The Nifty Bank index managed a modest uptick of 0.05 percent to trade at 56,318.20. Incremental support from automobile and consumer durables counters prevented any steep decline across the floor. Market sentiment globally remains cautious as participants await the impending interest rate decision from the US Federal Reserve.
