Stock market today at a glance
- Sensex: 78,658.01, up 563.37 points at 9:17 AM
- Nifty: 24,552.95, up 169.35 points
- NSE sectors: 14 of 16 higher
- Brent crude: $83.85, down 4.64%
- FII buying: ₹277.48 crore on July 31
- DII buying: ₹2,260.37 crore on July 31
- RBI policy: August 5 at 10 AM
- Nifty expiry: August 4
- New F&O closing time: 3:40 PM
The Sensex and Nifty opened firmly higher on Monday as a near-5% fall in crude oil eased concerns about India’s import bill, inflation and the rupee. Renewed hopes of US-Iran negotiations, positive institutional flows and broad buying across sectors helped Indian equities outperform weaker Asian markets.
At 9:17 AM IST, the NSE Nifty 50 gained 169.35 points, or 0.69%, to 24,552.95, while the BSE Sensex advanced 563.37 points, or 0.72%, to 78,658.01.
Fourteen of the 16 major sectoral indices traded higher. The Nifty Smallcap 100 rose approximately 0.7%, while the Nifty Midcap 100 added 0.4%.
The opening rally was reported from exchange-linked feeds by Reuters. The critical question is whether the market can retain these gains, especially with the RBI policy decision, corporate earnings, new closing-market rules and Tuesday’s F&O expiry ahead.
Why is the stock market rising today?
Crude oil’s 5% fall provides immediate relief
Brent crude dropped $4.08, or 4.64%, to $83.85 a barrel, while WTI fell $4.01, or 4.74%, to $80.66.
Oil declined after US President Donald Trump held off on a fresh attack on Iran and sought an agreement addressing Tehran’s nuclear programme and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Lower oil helps India through several channels:
- Reduced energy-import costs
- Lower imported-inflation pressure
- Better support for the rupee
- Reduced freight and manufacturing costs
- Potential margin relief for oil-sensitive companies
- Less pressure on the current account and government finances
Airlines, paints, tyres, chemicals, logistics, cement and oil-marketing companies could benefit if crude remains lower.
The geopolitical risk has not disappeared. Three additional tanker attacks were reported after Saturday, while traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained disrupted.
OPEC+ approved a September production increase of approximately 188,000 barrels per day, but recent quota increases have not always translated into equivalent physical supply. Reuters’ August 3 oil report provides the supply and geopolitical details.
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Market participation is broad
Fourteen of 16 sectors opened higher, while mid-cap and small-cap shares joined the advance. This is stronger than a rally produced only by a handful of heavyweight stocks.
However, the Nifty opened approximately 169 points above Friday’s close. Advancing shares must retain a clear lead after the first-hour volatility to confirm that the move is more than a gap-up reaction.
Readers can follow official breadth through the https://www.nseindia.com/market-data/advance?utm_source=chatgpt.com page.
RBI policy and rupee: This week’s biggest domestic event
The RBI monetary-policy decision is scheduled for Wednesday, August 5 at 10 AM IST.
Interest rates are widely expected to remain unchanged, making the central bank’s commentary on inflation, crude oil, rainfall and the rupee more important than the decision alone.
The rupee closed Friday at 95.38 per US dollar, registering its strongest weekly advance since March and reaching a three-week high after RBI intervention and dollar inflows.
India’s 10-year government-bond yield ended at 6.8343%. Bond sentiment weakened after Bloomberg deferred the inclusion of Indian government securities in its Global Aggregate Index.
Foreign investors sold nearly $600 million of eligible Indian bonds across six sessions, although they remained net buyers of $3.9 billion between June 1 and July 31. Reuters’ India markets outlook provides the rates and currency context.
Stocks in focus today
ITC rises despite lower profit
ITC shares gained as much as 4.1% to ₹292.55 after brokerages highlighted resilient cigarette volumes despite higher taxation.
Quarterly profit declined 27% to ₹3,579 crore, but stronger sales reduced fears of consumers shifting rapidly towards illicit products.
The market reaction shows that stocks respond to expectations rather than only the direction of reported profit. Investors appear to be focusing on volumes, market-share retention and the possibility of further calibrated price increases. Reuters reported ITC’s share-price movement and brokerage assessment.
Also Read | Stock Market - 28th July: Sensex, Nifty Flat Near 24,000; IT Stocks Rally Ahead of Fed Decision
Other stocks to track
- Maruti Suzuki: July sales reportedly increased 34%; exports, demand and margins remain important.
- Indian Oil: Swung to a quarterly loss; refining margins and inventory movements require scrutiny.
- NALCO: Quarterly profit nearly doubled amid supportive aluminium prices.
- HFCL: Announced an export order worth approximately ₹523 crore.
- Tata Steel: Strong Indian operations must be weighed against raw-material and overseas risks.
- Coal India: Dividend, volume growth and realisations remain central.
- Urban Company: Revenue growth supported the stock despite a quarterly loss.
UPL, Escorts Kubota, KEI Industries, Dhanuka Agritech, Great Eastern Shipping, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, JM Financial and Thomas Cook India are among the companies scheduled to report results. The schedule should be checked on the NSE corporate event calendar.
New stock-market timings begin today
August 3 introduces an important change in India’s closing-price mechanism for F&O-eligible shares.
- Continuous cash trading in covered F&O stocks ends at 3:15 PM.
- The Closing Auction Session runs from 3:15 PM to 3:35 PM.
- Non-F&O stocks continue regular trading until 3:30 PM.
- Equity index and stock derivatives trade until 3:40 PM.
- The post-close cash session operates from 3:50 PM to 4 PM.
The closing auction is intended to improve final-price discovery and reduce the possibility of manipulation near the close.
Publishers and investors should not treat the 3:15 PM last continuous-market price as the official closing price for covered securities.
The framework is detailed in SEBI’s Closing Auction Session circular and the NSE implementation circular.
IPO market today
Juniper Green Energy IPO closes
The ₹1,800-crore Juniper Green Energy IPO closes on August 3.
- Price band: ₹214–₹225
- Lot size: 66 shares
- Minimum application at upper band: ₹14,850
- Structure: Entirely fresh issue
- Friday subscription snapshot: Approximately 0.47 times
- QIB subscription: Approximately 1.19 times
- MV Electrosystems IPO closes
MV Electrosystems’ ₹290-crore all-fresh issue also closes today.
- Price band: ₹400–₹425
- Minimum lot: 34 shares
- Minimum application at upper band: ₹14,450
- Morning reported subscription: Approximately 12.03 times
Final demand must be checked through the NSE IPO portal.
Manipal Health Enterprises’ allotment is expected to be finalised today, with listing tentatively scheduled for August 5. Grey-market premiums remain unofficial.
News4Bharat POV
Monday’s 563-point Sensex jump is primarily an oil-risk reset. Brent’s fall below $84 immediately improves assumptions concerning India’s inflation, currency and corporate margins.
The breadth—14 of 16 sectors higher—makes this stronger than a heavyweight-only rally. Institutional flows also remain supportive, with FIIs and DIIs jointly buying approximately ₹2,538 crore on Friday.
Two less obvious tests matter.
First, US-Iran negotiations remain fragile. Tanker attacks and disrupted shipping have not disappeared.
Second, India’s new closing auction means the official close for F&O-eligible shares will be determined differently. Morning strength must survive not only the regular trading period but also a new end-of-day price-discovery process.
