Indian equity markets are poised for a positive start today, August 21, marking what could be the second consecutive day of gains for domestic benchmarks. Early trade indicators from GIFT Nifty suggest a resilient opening despite mixed international cues. At the time of writing, Nifty futures were trading at 24,331, registering a modest gain of 0.11%. This positive momentum follows a sharp rebound recorded during Thursday's trading session across the Indian stock exchanges.
Global Cues and Domestic Market Benchmark Overview
On Thursday, domestic equities witnessed strong buying interest as the Nifty 50 index surged 0.64% to settle at 24,231.85. The 30-share BSE Sensex performed even stronger, advancing 0.82% to close at 77,537.72. In contrast, Wall Street experienced notable selling pressure overnight with major US benchmark indices closing in the red. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.32%, while the S&P 500 declined 0.87%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite dropped 1% by market close. Tracking the decline in the US markets, Asian financial centers were trading in a mixed pattern during early Friday morning trade.
Stocks Expected to Drive Market Activity Today
Several corporate counters are scheduled to remain in the spotlight today due to order wins, management updates, policy changes, and quarterly performance announcements.
- RailTel Corporation of India: Shares of RailTel will be closely watched after the public sector entity announced securing a significant project from Western Coalfields valued at Rs 164.79 crore.
- State Bank of India (SBI): The country's premier public sector lender announced revisions to cash withdrawal fees for its Basic Savings Bank Deposit (BSBD) account holders. Starting October 1, 2026, SBI will levy a charge of Rs 15 plus GST for every cash withdrawal transaction conducted after the initial four free monthly transactions.
- Mankind Pharma and Manipal Hospital Group: The healthcare entity posted its Q1 FY27 operational results, reporting a revenue from operations of Rs 3,091 crore for the June quarter. This reflects a substantial year-on-year growth of 38.1%.
- Saatvik Solar Industries: Investor interest is expected in solar equipment supply lines after its subsidiary Saatvik Solar Industries Pvt Ltd bagged an order worth Rs 190 crore for supplying Solar PV Modules.
- Torrent Power: Torrent Power announced top-level management restructuring after CFO Saurabh Mashruwala declared his retirement on Thursday. The company's board has appointed Vikas Poddar as the new Chief Financial Officer, Whole-Time Key Managerial Personnel, and Senior Management Personnel, effective August 21.
