Archive · 14 Aug 2026
Sensex, Nifty Open Lower as Crude Jitters Keep Markets Range-Bound
In India, there are two big stock market scoreboards called the Sensex and the Nifty 50.
One number on each scoreboard shows how the prices of many company shares are doing altogether.
On the days in these reports, both scoreboards opened a bit lower, meaning most share prices went down at the start of trading.
Some companies' shares fell the most, like UltraTech Cement and PowerGrid, which appeared among the biggest losers in both reports.
A few companies' shares went up instead, like Tech Mahindra and Bajaj Finance.
The price of oil, called Brent crude, is also important for the market, and it was below $90 per barrel.
A market expert named VK Vijayakumar said the market will probably keep moving sideways or within a range for a while.
He said strong company earnings and money from domestic investors help the market, but high oil prices are a worry.
He also said oil prices jumped above $91 because a deal between the US and Iran did not happen as expected.
That is why investors are being careful.
Sensex and Nifty 50 opened lower, with UltraTech Cement and PowerGrid among the top Sensex losers in both reports.
One report listed UltraTech Cement, Titan, RIL, ICICI Bank, PowerGrid and Infosys as top Sensex losers (down up to 1.62%), with IndiGo, Tech Mahindra, Eternal, Bajaj Finance and L&T gaining up to 1.42%.
The other report listed UltraTech Cement, Tata Steel, PowerGrid, IndiGo, Trent and Asian Paints as top losers (down up to 1.20%), placing IndiGo on the losing side where the first report had it gaining.
Brent crude traded below $90 per barrel, at $88.53 on Thursday and $87.16 on Friday.
Geojit Investments' VK Vijayakumar expects near-term consolidation and range-bound trade (Nifty between 23,800 and 24,400), with strong growth and domestic liquidity as tailwinds and elevated crude — including a spike above $91 after no US–Iran deal — as the key headwind.
- Who
- Investors in Indian equities; VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Investments, commented on the market moves.
- What
- Sensex and Nifty 50 opened lower, with different sets of top Sensex losers reported across the two days and Brent crude below $90 per barrel.
- When
- In the Thursday and Friday trading sessions covered by the reports, following the August 12, 2026 lower close.
- Where
- Indian stock markets (S&P BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty 50).
- Why
- Markets are consolidating in a range, pressured by elevated crude prices and uncertainty over crude trends after no US–Iran deal, while supported by strong growth, earnings momentum and domestic liquidity, according to Geojit Investments.
- Brent crude (Thursday)
- $88.53 per barrel
- Brent crude (Friday)
- $87.16 per barrel
- Top Sensex losers (first report)
- UltraTech Cement, Titan, RIL, ICICI Bank, PowerGrid, Infosys (down up to 1.62%)
- Top Sensex gainers (first report)
- IndiGo, Tech Mahindra, Eternal, Bajaj Finance, L&T (up up to 1.42%)
- Top Sensex losers (second report)
- UltraTech Cement, Tata Steel, PowerGrid, IndiGo, Trent, Asian Paints (down up to 1.20%)
- August 12, 2026 close
- Sensex 77,966.35 (-0.24%); Nifty 24,435.95 (-0.15%)
- Second report's prior session close
- Sensex 78,079.96 (+0.15%); Nifty 24,395.85 (-0.16%)
- Nifty consolidation range (Geojit)
- 23,800-24,400