Local stock markets are likely to start on a cautious note today. The Gift Nifty April 2026 futures are up 0.11 points, indicating a slightly firm opening for the benchmark index today. The domestic equity market edged lower in last session, with BSE Sensex and Nifty 50 marginally lower.The BSE Sensex has edged lower 3.67% over the last one month, while the NSE Nifty has slipped 3.67% over the same period.

In Asia today, sentiment was modestly positive. China’s SSE Composite Index drifted lower 0.25% while Japan’s Nikkei 225 inched higher 1.38%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index posted modest losses of 0.80%.

Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares worth Rs 3,809 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net buyers to the tune of Rs 4,120 crore in the Indian equity market on 22 September 2026, provisional data showed.

Overnight on Wall Street, stocks inched up across the board. The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished lower by 185.14 points, or 0.36%, and closed at 51884.69. The S&P 500 remained flat to end at 7844.75, and the NASDAQ Composite edged up 0.44% to 27262.53.

Yesterday, the S&P BSE Sensex slipped 329.91 points or 0.44% to 74529.08. The Nifty 50 index ended slightly lower by 85.30 points or 0.36% to 23329.00. Coal India Ltd was top gainer in Nifty 50 yesterday, moving higher by 3.21% to Rs 428. The stock has posted modest gains of around 1.43% in last one-week and is weaker 10.47% over last one-month.

In sectoral indices, only Nifty Media index moved higher yesterday, gaining 1.21% on the day.