Indian equity benchmark indices, the Sensex and Nifty, started the trading session on a negative note on Monday, March 16, 2026, amid sustained heavy selling by FIIs and the weakness in the rupee due to the ongoing US-Israel-Iran war. While the 30-share BSE Sensex shed 138.13 points or 0.19 per cent to start the session at 74,415.79, the Nifty fell 35 points to open at 23,116.10. In the last trading session, the Sensex closed at 74,563.92 and the Nifty 50 at 23,151.10. Similarly, the broader indices traded in the red in the opening session. While the BSE Midcap Select Index fell 94.14 points, or 0.62 per cent, in the early trading session, the BSE Smallcap Select Index was down by 43.59 points or 0.61 per cent, to trade at 7,158.84.
From the Sensex pack, UltraTech Cement, Hindustan Unilever, ITC, Kotak Bank and Bajaj Finserv were among the gainers, with UltraTech Cement leading the pack by gaining 2.09 per cent in the early trade. On the other hand, Mahindra & Mahindra, BEL, Indigo, ICICI Bank and Bharti Airtel were in the red, with M&M the biggest loser, falling 1.06 per cent.
In early trade, market breadth was negative, with 1,873 stocks declining against 696 stocks advancing on the NSE. 80 stocks remained unchanged.
What did Gift Nifty indicate?
Gift Nifty, an early indicator for the Nifty 50, indicated a mildly negative opening as it opened with a fall of 26.5 points at 23,176.50, compared to the previous close of 23,203. Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) extended their selling streak for the eleventh consecutive session and offloaded equities worth Rs 10,716.64 crore on March 13, 2026. However, Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) largely offset the outflows with purchases of Rs 9,977.42 crore.
Asian Markets Today
Asian stocks traded cautiously on Monday as the price of a barrel of Brent crude oil continued to hover above USD 100. While Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 259.61 points or 0.48 per cent to trade at 53,560, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was up by 274 points. Similarly, South Korea’s Kospi traded in the green with a gain of 40.11 points at the time of writing the report. Shanghai’s SSE Composite index was down by 29.05 points or 0.71 per cent.
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(This article is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment, financial, or other advice.)
