- Oil rally accelerates on UAE OPEC exit
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Stock Markets News as on 24th April, 2026
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Today, April 24, 2026, the Indian stock market closed in the red, with both the Sensex and Nifty registering sharp losses as risk‑off sentiment gripped investors. The primary benchmarks fell over 1% for the third consecutive session, weighed down by surging crude oil prices, geopolitical concerns, and heavy profit‑booking after a strong rally in recent weeks.
Benchmarks and breadth
The BSE Sensex ended around 76,664, down roughly 980–1,000 points (about 1.3%) from the previous close, reflecting broad‑based selling. The Nifty 50 slipped to about 23,898, falling 275 points (‑1.14%), and moved below the psychologically important 24,000 level. Broader indices also weakened, with the Nifty Midcap 100 and Smallcap 100 indices each slipping around 0.8–1%, indicating that the correction was not limited to a few stocks.
Key drivers and sentiment
Three main factors dominated the session:
- High crude oil prices above the 100‑dollar‑per‑barrel mark, which raised fears of higher input costs and inflation.
- Geopolitical tensions, especially the ongoing US–Iran impasse, which spurred global risk‑aversion and pushed the India VIX (fear index) higher.
- Profit‑booking after the Nifty had surged over 2,400 points in about three weeks, taking the market into overbought territory on short‑term technical indicators.
Sector‑wise highlights
The IT sector was the worst‑hit, with heavyweight stocks such as Infosys among the top losers, dragging down both Nifty and the broader tech universe. Energy and commodity‑linked names fluctuated with crude, while financials managed to limit the fall, keeping Bank Nifty relatively more resilient compared with the main index. On the bright side, a few select stocks like Coal India and some small‑caps posted gains on company‑specific news, showing that stock‑level opportunities still exist amid the broader weakness.
Overall, today’s session was a consolidation and correction after a strong rally, with macro and geopolitical worries temporarily overshadowing India’s solid earnings and long‑term growth story.
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Despite the broader market fall today, a few sectors and pockets have held up relatively well or even posted gains, acting as “defensive” or “selective” bright spots.
1. Power and renewable energy
Within energy, select power and renewable‑energy stocks showed resilience, with names like Websol Energy, Adani Green Energy, and Tata Power closing higher even as the Nifty fell over 1%. Renewables and large integrated power companies are benefiting from policy tailwinds and steady demand, making them relatively less volatile in risk‑off phases.
2. Banking and financial services (selective)
The banking and some financial‑services sub‑sectors were among the milder‑underperformers, with Nifty Bank and Nifty Financial Services down less than the broader mid/small‑cap indices. Large PSUs and private banks with strong asset‑quality metrics are acting as relative safe havens as investors rotate into more stable earnings.
3. Defence and infrastructure themes
Thematic pockets such as defence and infrastructure have historically held up better during geopolitical stress, and today those segments are once again showing relative strength compared with IT and discretionary sectors. Defence stocks, in particular, benefit from long‑term government capex plans and are viewed as structural plays even in downturns.
4. Defensive consumption and pharma (relative stability)
Though not outperforming in absolute terms, FMCG and pharma stocks are still considered defensive: their demand is relatively stable regardless of market direction, so they tend to correct less sharply than cyclicals. Analysts recently flagged pharma and selected healthcare names as “safer” pockets if volatility persists, even if they are not today’s top gainers.
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Markets at Close
24th April, 2026
Sensex crashes 983 pts; Nifty slips below 23,900 as IT stocks lead sell-off
Biggest Nifty losers were Infosys, HCL Tech, TCS, Tech Mahindra and Sun Pharma, while gainers included Hindalco, Coal India, Nestle, Grasim, Eicher Motors. Nifty Midcap and Smallcap indices declined nearly 1% each. All the sectoral indices ended in the red with IT index sheds 5%, while Healthcare, Consumer Durables, Realty, Telecom, Pharma, Media down 1% each.
Rupee at Close
24th April, 2026
Indian rupee ended 14 paise lower at 94.25 per dollar on Friday versus previous close of 94.11.
Source : moneycontrol
FII’s & DII’s Activity on 24th April, 2026
Net value in crores
| BUY | SELL | |
| DII | 4,700.71 | |
| FII | -8,827.87 |
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NOTE: *** The above information is based on the source and just for educational purposes only. Please consult your financial advisor before buying any stocks. Thank You ***
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