Local stock markets are likely to start on a cautious note today. The Gift Nifty April 2026 futures are modestly lower by 0.11 points, pointing to a subdued start for the benchmark index today. The domestic equity market finished marginally lower in last session, with BSE Sensex and Nifty 50 marginally lower.The BSE Sensex has inched higher 1.24% over the last one month, while the NSE Nifty has risen slightly 1.31% over the same period. In Asia today, sentiment was steady. China’s SSE Composite Index ticked up 0.50% while Japan’s Nikkei 225 inched higher 0.01%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index edged up 1.56%. Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth Rs 508 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net buyers to the tune of Rs 356 crore in the Indian equity market on 16 August 2026, provisional data showed. Overnight on Wall Street, stocks posted modest losses across the board. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down by 107.58 points, or 0.20%, and closed at 53753.41. The S&P 500 eased 0.17% to end at 7807.01, and the NASDAQ Composite drifted lower 0.27% to 26751.64. Yesterday, the S&P BSE Sensex ended slightly lower by 70.71 points or 0.09% to 78009.25. The Nifty 50 index slipped 29.85 points or 0.12% to 24366.00. Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd was top gainer in Nifty 50 yesterday, edging up 3.73% to Rs 8920.50. The stock has moved higher around 1.43% in last one-week and stands lower 10.47% over last one-month. In sectoral indices, only Nifty Media index moved higher yesterday, gaining 0.96% on the day.