Local stock markets are likely to start on a cautious note today. The Gift Nifty April 2026 futures are up 0.16 points, indicating a slightly firm opening for the benchmark index today. The domestic equity market closed on a weak note in last session, with BSE Sensex and Nifty 50 a tad lower.The BSE Sensex has posted modest losses of 1.03% over the last one month, while the NSE Nifty has drifted lower 0.66% over the same period. In Asia today, sentiment was steady. China’s SSE Composite Index posted modest gains of 0.21% while Japan’s Nikkei 225 inched higher 1%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index ticked up 0.69%. Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth Rs 407 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net buyers to the tune of Rs 3,973 crore in the Indian equity market on 19 August 2026, provisional data showed. Overnight on Wall Street, stocks posted modest gains across the board. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended higher by 119.65 points, or 0.22%, and closed at 53484.05. The S&P 500 edged up 0.21% to end at 7729.03, and the NASDAQ Composite moved higher 0.17% to 26354.33. Yesterday, the S&P BSE Sensex edged lower 325.78 points or 0.42% to 76909.68. The Nifty 50 index eased 76.60 points or 0.32% to 24078.30. HCL Technologies Ltd was top gainer in Nifty 50 yesterday, rising slightly by 2.06% to Rs 1324.80. The stock has moved higher around 1.43% in last one-week and remains down 10.47% over last one-month. In sectoral indices, only Nifty IT index ended slightly higher yesterday, up 0.73% on the day.