Sensex Today | Nifty 50 | Stock Market Live Updates: Sensex trades flat, Nifty below 22,600; auto stocks lead losses

INDIA, 1 OCTOBER 2026 —

The BSE Sensex slipped 0.21% to 72,329.96 and the NSE Nifty 50 fell 0.33% to 22,545.75 in early trade on Thursday, marking a muted start to the new trading series as volatility spiked after the market opened.

The opening weakness mirrored broader Asian market moves. Within minutes of the 9 a.m. bell, the GIFT Nifty futures were down 0.34% at 22,807.50, while the Jakarta Composite slipped 0.55%. By contrast, Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 2.41%, Singapore’s Straits Times Index edged up 0.12%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 0.36%, Taiwan’s Weighted Index climbed 0.32%, South Korea’s KOSPI advanced 0.75%, and Thailand’s SET Composite inched higher 0.07%.

Crude oil prices remained a key driver of market sentiment. Reuters reported Brent crude futures up 12 cents, or 0.1%, to $98.15 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) fell 7 cents, or 0.1%, to $90.35 a barrel. The modest Brent gain lifted energy‑related stocks, yet the overall market breadth stayed thin as investors weighed the prospects of U.S.–Iran peace talks.

The Indian rupee weakened slightly in early trade, slipping three paise to 95.97 per U.S. dollar. The currency had closed the previous session at 95.94, after a flat finish on Wednesday when the greenback softened in the dollar index and crude oil prices eased. The rupee’s modest decline reflected the combined effect of foreign fund outflows and a lack of domestic liquidity support.

Among the Sensex 30 constituents, the day’s prominent gainers were Kotak Mahindra Bank, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, HCL Technologies and HDFC Bank. The laggards included Power Grid Corporation, Bharat Electronics, UltraTech Cement, Maruti Suzuki and Mahindra & Mahindra, each posting losses that widened the index’s early‑session gap.

September’s performance underscored the market’s fragility. The Nifty 50 fell 6.1% in the month, closing at 22,620.45, while the Sensex dropped 5.8% to end September at 72,480.29. Both indices recorded their second consecutive monthly decline since the onset of the West Asian conflict.

“Global macro backdrop remained weak in September, with tensions in the Middle East and US Fed rate hike, while a busy local IPO market meant limited liquidity support for the falling market,” said Sunny Agrawal, head of equity research at SBICAPS.

The subdued start to the new series also reflected the impact of recent earnings reports. While GIFT Nifty futures indicated a muted opening for the month, analysts expressed optimism that second‑quarter earnings could provide a lift later in the session. The mixed signals from commodity markets—oil gaining modestly while gold and silver slipped—added to the cautious tone among traders.

Foreign institutional investors continued to pull capital from Indian equities, a trend that has persisted throughout September. Their outflows reduced the pool of funds available to buoy the market, contributing to the limited upside for both the rupee and the equity indices.

Looking ahead, market participants will watch the evolution of U.S.–Iran diplomatic talks and the Federal Reserve’s policy stance for clues on whether global risk appetite will improve. Any shift in foreign fund flows, coupled with the performance of upcoming corporate earnings, will likely determine whether the Sensex and Nifty can recover from today’s early‑session dip.

The day’s trading narrative, shaped by a modest Brent rally, a slight rupee weakening, and continued foreign outflows, sets the tone for the opening week of the new series, with investors poised to react to both domestic earnings and evolving geopolitical developments.

Related: BSE · Sunny Agrawal · India