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Key gauges end higher on easing global bond yields
Aug-20-2026

Snapping their recent losing streak, Indian equity benchmarks bounced back on Thursday, tracking a rally in world markets as easing global bond yields revived risk appetite. Fresh foreign fund inflows also added to the markets' optimism. Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) bought equities worth Rs 407.99 crore on Wednesday, according to exchange data. 

Both Sensex and Nifty ended higher as investors stepped in to buy beaten-down stocks following the recent correction. The recovery was widespread across sectors, driven primarily by strength in Realty, FMCG and IT stocks. Among the Nifty constituents, Eternal and Shriram Finance emerged as the top gainers, while Tata Consumer and Hindalco were the key laggards.  

Some of the important factors in trade: 

MPC adopts wait-and-watch approach amid risk of food, fuel inflation: The minutes of Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) MPC meeting showed that rate-setting panel was broadly agreed that rising food and fuel prices posed inflation risks, but there was limited evidence of broad-based price pressures, warranting a wait-and-watch approach, while voting for the status quo on interest rates.

Electricity grid, energy storage readiness to support next phase of renewable energy growth: Rating agency ICRA has said that electricity grid and energy storage readiness will drive the next phase of renewable energy growth, while the aggressive BESS bidding will keep a tab on project economics. 

India gears up for expanded rail connectivity with 4 new projects worth Rs 9,450 crore: India is accelerating the expansion of its railway network with four new projects involving an investment of around Rs 9,450 crore. 

India's gems & jewellery sector aims to reach $100 billion exports by 2040: Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agarwal has said that building a comprehensive ecosystem focused on innovation, global design leadership and trust could help India’s gems and jewellery exports reach $100 billion by 2040, up from $28 billion recorded in 2025-26. 

Global front: European markets were trading lower after the Federal Reserve's July meeting minutes revealed growing concern over inflation and a divided policy committee, keeping a September rate hike possible. Asian markets settled mostly higher on Thursday, as an emergency buyback of longer-dated debt by the U.S. Treasury helped ease some of the pressure from surging long-term yields. 

Finally, the BSE Sensex rose 628.04 points or 0.82% to 77,537.72 and the CNX Nifty was up by 153.55 points or 0.64% to 24,231.85.

The BSE Sensex touched high and low of 77,611.11 and 77,371.00, respectively. There were 26 stocks advancing against 4 stocks declining on the index. 

The top gaining sectoral indices on the BSE were Realty up by 1.87%, FMCG up by 1.03%, IT up by 0.94%, TECK up by 0.86% and Consumer Discretionary up by 0.75%, while there was no losing sectoral index on the BSE. 

The top gainers on the Sensex were Eternal up by 2.31%, Kotak Mahindra Bank up by 1.65%, ITC up by 1.63%, Bajaj Finance up by 1.53% and Axis Bank up by 1.46%. On the flip side, Tata Steel down by 0.41%, Interglobe Aviation down by 0.24%, HCL Technologies down by 0.19% and Titan Company down by 0.04% were the top losers.

Meanwhile, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agarwal has said that building a comprehensive ecosystem focused on innovation, global design leadership and trust could help India’s gems and jewellery exports reach $100 billion by 2040, up from $28 billion recorded in 2025-26. He noted that by 2040, the sector is expected to contribute around 1.2% to India’s GDP and account for approximately 14% of the country’s total merchandise exports.

He emphasised that India’s strength lies not in mining gold, silver or rough diamonds, but in its vast pool of skilled craftspeople, and said that greater wealth creation would come from design, innovation and global branding rather than basic manufacturing. He stressed the need for India to move beyond low-margin OEM work and bridge the gap between institutions of learning and industry by partnering with academic incubators to address real-world industry challenges. 

He further emphasised the need to invest in human capital by upgrading skills, making careers in craftsmanship aspirational and leveraging advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and 3D printing to achieve product differentiation. He said that India’s rich history, culture and stories should be integrated into jewellery designs to strengthen the country’s soft power, while transparent and technology-driven trust networks should be established across domestic and export markets to respond to the evolving preferences of younger generations. He also called for developing greater risk appetite, addressing future-oriented industry challenges and mentoring young talent to build resilient supply chains and globally recognised Indian brands aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047

CNX Nifty touched high and low of 24,265.15 and 24,184.55, respectively. There were 40 stocks advancing against 10 stocks declining on the index. 

The top gainers on Nifty were Eternal up by 2.48%, Shriram Finance up by 2.01%, Kotak Mahindra Bank up by 1.82%, ITC up by 1.72% and Bajaj Finance up by 1.37%. On the flip side, Tata Consumer Products down by 1.10%, Hindalco Industries down by 0.88%, Interglobe Aviation down by 0.54%, HCL Technologies down by 0.48% and Nestle India down by 0.48% were the top losers. 

European markets were trading lower; UK’s FTSE 100 decreased 33.42 points or 0.31% to 10,709.93, France’s CAC fell 28.31 points or 0.33% to 8,473.60 and Germany’s DAX lost 102.43 points or 0.39% to 25,988.90.

Asian markets settled mostly higher on Thursday, with South Korea’s Kospi surging 5.89% after the retreat in long-term US Treasury yields. This followed the US Treasury’s announcement that it would significantly increase debt buybacks, which eased concerns over rising borrowing costs that had weighed heavily on global equities. Japan’s 10-year government bond yield also eased after hitting a 30-year high earlier this week. Chinese shares gained as the People's Bank of China (PBoC) left its benchmark lending rates unchanged for the 15th straight month in August on Thursday, in line with market expectations. Investors shifted their focus on the National People's Congress Standing Committee meeting in Beijing on August 25-28 for further policy signals. 

Asian Indices

Last Trade            

Change in Points

Change in %      

Shanghai Composite

3,903.72

9.30

0.24

Hang Seng

25,698.49

203.42

0.80

Jakarta Composite

6,501.58

107.45

1.65

KLSE Composite

1,736.71

5.39

0.31

Nikkei 225

66,216.79

890.37

1.36

Straits Times

5,671.91

-22.33

-0.39

KOSPI Composite

6,852.58

381.41

5.89

Taiwan Weighted

44,933.74

214.39

0.48
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