Nifty claws back Friday's losses; Rupee stumbles despite softer crude

Markets bounced back on Monday, recouping a large part of Friday's losses as easing geopolitical tensions and softer crude oil prices lifted investor sentiment. The recovery, however, came with a caveat — trading was narrow and volumes thin, with NSE cash market turnover running about 8 per cent. below the average seen so far in June.

"...the market benefited from lower oil prices and improving global sentiment. However, we remain cautious due to risks such as delayed monsoons, uncertainty in US–Iran negotiations, and weak global IT spending trends," said Abhinav Tiwari, Research Analyst at Bonanza Portfolio.

The Sensex closed at 77,094.07, up 291.17 points or 0.38 per cent., while the Nifty 50 settled at 24,102.90, a gain of 89.80 points or 0.37 per cent.. The Nifty opened with a gap-up of over 93 points and briefly touched an intraday high of 24,168, but trimmed gains through the second half as profit booking kicked in, pulling the index nearly 88 points off its peak. The session's intraday range of just 95 points was the narrowest since January 1, 2026.

Optimism around the ongoing US–Iran peace talks in Switzerland — where the first round ended on a constructive note — was the primary driver of the day's gains, easing concerns over potential disruptions to global energy supplies. Brent crude slipped nearly 1.3 per cent. to around $79 per barrel, offering relief to India's import bill. Domestic crude futures on MCX declined over 1.2 per cent.. Gold, meanwhile, gained over 1 per cent. on COMEX, rebounding above $4,210, while MCX Gold rose roughly ₹2,000 to ₹1,49,200, supported by both global cues and a weaker rupee.

On the sectoral front, Media, Pharma, and Healthcare led gains, while FMCG and Consumer Durables were the session's key laggards amid profit-booking in consumption-oriented stocks. The Nifty IT index gained 0.7 per cent. after the recent sharp correction, and the Defence index advanced 1.5 per cent. on expectations of a potential export deal with the UAE. Among Nifty heavyweights, Cipla, Tech Mahindra, and Dr Reddy's Laboratories topped the gainers list, while Asian Paints, Titan, and Nestle India ended in the red. Stocks in specific focus included Voltas, after the company reported crossing one million air-conditioner units in FY27 in record time; RVNL, which secured a ₹2,977 crore order from NMDC; SBI, whose chairman indicated the bank is weighing securitisation of part of its home loan portfolio; and Bandhan Bank, which raised interest rates on large FCNR(B) deposits.

Broader markets outperformed the benchmarks for a seventh consecutive session. The Nifty Midcap 100 rose 0.34 per cent. to 62,729 and the Nifty Smallcap 100 climbed 0.60 per cent. to 18,897. Market breadth remained firmly positive, with the BSE advance-decline ratio at 1.49, and 326 stocks from the Nifty 500 universe closing in the green.

The rupee, however, bucked the broader positive tone. Despite the dip in crude, the domestic currency weakened 36 paise to close at 84.68 against the dollar, pressured by renewed importer demand and a firm Dollar Index near 100.85 that capped gains across emerging market currencies.

Looking ahead, markets will track the next round of US–Iran negotiations closely, along with the progress of the southwest monsoon — delays in which could stoke food inflation and dent rural demand. Investors will also watch US Core PCE inflation and personal spending data, as well as Non-Farm Payrolls figures due later this week. On the primary market front, multiple IPOs are set to open for subscription, and AMFI's semi-annual market-cap categorisation review could trigger rebalancing across segments. "...investors will closely monitor developments in US–Iran negotiations, the progress of the southwest monsoon and the release of US Core PCE inflation and personal spending data," said Siddhartha Khemka, Head of Research at Motilal Oswal Financial Services.