Indian equity benchmark indices, the Sensex and Nifty, started the session in red on Thursday, April 23, 2026, tracking sharp weakness in GIFT Nifty and cautious global cues amid a rise in Brent oil prices. While the 30-share BSE Sensex shed 532.83 points or 0.67 per cent to start the session at 77,983.66, the Nifty fell 175.75 points to open at 24,202.35. In the last trading session, the Sensex closed at 78,516.49 and the Nifty 50 at 24,378.10. Similarly, the broader indices traded in the red in the opening session. While the BSE Midcap Select Index was down by 40.30 points, the BSE Smallcap Select Index fell 12.51 points or 0.15 per cent, to trade at 8,058.70.
From the Sensex pack, BEL, Trent, and PowerGrid were only three stocks in green, with BEL leading the pack by gaining 0.27 per cent in the early trade. On the other hand, Indigo, UltraTech Cement, Asian Paints, Mahindra & Mahindra and Eternal were in the red, with Indigo being the biggest loser by falling 2.10 per cent.
In early trade, market breadth was negative, with 1,610 stocks advancing against 1,092 stocks declining on the NSE. 84 stocks remained unchanged.
What did Gift Nifty indicate?
Gift Nifty, an early indicator for the Nifty 50, indicated a weak to negative start as it opened with a fall of 84.5 points at 24,279.50, compared to the previous close of 24,364. Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) were net sellers with outflows of 2,078.36 crore on April 22, 2026. Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) too recorded outflows of approximately Rs 2,078.36 crore.
