The Indian stock market benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty 50, are likely to open higher on Thursday, 20 August, supported by an overnight recovery on Wall Street and a rally across Asian markets. Softer US Treasury yields have also improved global risk appetite.

Asian markets opened mostly higher on Thursday, while US stock futures also pointed to a positive start.

On Wednesday, the Nifty 50 extended its losing streak to seven consecutive sessions, its longest run of declines since September 2025. The index remained under pressure amid the ongoing West Asia conflict and persistently high crude oil prices.

Domestic Market Recap

On Wednesday, Indian indices ended in red:

• Sensex slumped by 326 points (0.42%) to close at 76,909.68.
• Nifty 50 moved down by 77 points (0.32%) to settle at 24,078.30.

Gift Nifty

Gift Nifty was trading near 24,202, around 84 points higher than the previous Nifty futures close, hinting at a positive start for Indian markets.

Overnight Wall Street Performance

• The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained by 118.65 points (0.22%) to close at 53,463.05.
• S&P 500 was up by 16.22 points (0.21%), ending at 7.707.98.
• The Nasdaq Composite was higher by 41.38 points (0.16%), finishing at 26,331.09.

Crude Oil Prices

• Brent crude gained by 0.3% to $91.87/barrel

Overnight Major Global Events Driving Sentiment

1. US-Iran War: Trump said the measures would trigger “Economic Warfare and Isolation on an unprecedented scale,” calling them an “ECONOMIC D-DAY” and urging US allies to back Washington. He warned that countries allowing banks, companies, airports or government agencies to support Iran could face severe economic consequences, though he did not specify the penalties. Trump also demanded an end to activities such as smuggling, cash transfers, exchange house operations and the use of ship registries to support Tehran.

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