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Informist, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026

By Adhithya Aji

MUMBAI – Benchmark indices are likely to have a positive start Tuesday as easing crude oil prices is set to provide some relief to investors. Indices are expected to post a recovery in the short term as long as there is no further escalation in the war in West Asia that could push crude oil prices higher. Asian markets opened higher Tuesday and Wall Street indices ended up Monday.

Brent crude oil prices have eased recently from a high of around $110 per barrel last week. At 0726 IST, the November futures of Brent crude were up nearly 1% at $101.07 per barrel. Prices pulled back after US President Donald Trump said he is open for a meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who is currently in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, as per media reports. This sparked renewed hopes of a possible end to the seven-month war, that could lead to the smooth passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.

Easing crude oil prices are expected to improve the earnings outlook for Indian companies. Analysts said strong earnings in the September quarter could attract foreign investors back to domestic markets. The participation of overseas investors has not been that active in India amid multiple headwinds like higher crude oil prices, elevated US bond yields, and robust demand for artificial intelligence stocks in other markets. Monday, foreign investors were net sellers of Indian shares, dumping equities worth INR 5.76 billion.

Market participants are also pricing in an interest rate hike by the Reserve Bank of India amid higher inflation. India's core inflation rose to a 20-month-high of 4.82% in August. The US Federal Reserve hiked its interest rate by 25 basis points last week. Among other global central banks, the Bank of Japan and the European Central Bank had hiked benchmark rates as well, while the Bank of England had kept them unchanged but took a cautious stance. The RBI is expected to raise rates if crude oil prices remain elevated and expectations of inflation increase, according to the head of research at a domestic broking firm. If an interest rate hike kicks in, banks--the sector that has the highest weight in the equity markets--is seen positioned to do well, the analyst said. 

At 0750 IST, the September futures of GIFT Nifty were 0.2% lower at 23495 points, indicating a subdued open for the Nifty 50, which closed at 23414.30 Monday. "Index on the daily chart formed a bullish candle with a higher high and a higher low signalling continuation of the pullback for the fourth session in a row," Pabitro Mukherjee, deputy vice president-research at Bajaj Broking, said in a note. The Nifty 50 rebounded from the oversold territory by rising in the last four sessions. In the coming sessions, it is likely to consolidate and trade in the broad range of 23115-23650. The support for the 50-stock index is at 23115, while the resistance is seen around 23600-23650, Mukherjee added. 

On the global front, most Asian stock markets opened higher. South Korea's Kospi led gains in the region, up nearly 2%. In New York, the Nasdaq Composite gained 2.3% Monday.  End

US$1 = INR 95.81

IST, or Indian Standard Time, is five-and-a-half hours ahead of GMT

Edited by Shubhayan Bhattacharya

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