Opening Bell: Sensex Rises 276 Points, Nifty 50 Gains 80 Points; IT Stocks Lead, 8 IPOs in Focus

Market Update at 09:30 AM: The Indian equity benchmarks, the Sensex and the Nifty 50, traded higher in early deals on Wednesday, supported by gains in IT and Banking stocks. As of 9:20 AM, the Sensex rose 276.28 points, or 0.38 per cent, to 73,058.17, while the Nifty 50 advanced 79.65 points, or 0.35 per cent, to 22,702.35.

Tech Mahindra, Tata Consumer Products and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) were among the Top Gainers on the Nifty 50. However, broader markets remained under pressure, with the Nifty MidCap declining 0.11 per cent and the Nifty SmallCap falling 0.41 per cent. Among sectoral indices, the Nifty IT recorded the strongest gains, while the Nifty PSU Bank was the biggest laggard.

Investors will track quarterly earnings from Angel One, HDFC Asset Management Company, HDFC Life Insurance Company, Nestle India and Tech Mahindra, which are scheduled to announce their results on Wednesday.

In the primary market, the IPOs of Tonbo Imaging India, Zetwerk, Bonfiglioli Transmissions, Sahajanand Medical Technologies and Shellz India are scheduled to open for subscription.

Meanwhile, the Fusion CX and Ravita Engineering Services IPOs will enter their second day of bidding. The Vaibhav Vyapaar IPO will enter its final day of subscription on Thursday.

Pre-Market Update at 7:40 AM: GIFT Nifty indicated a muted to mildly weak opening for domestic equities on Thursday, October 15, 2026. It traded at 22,607.5 at 6:59 AM IST, down 15.2 points, or 0.07 per cent, from the previous Nifty 50 close of 22,622.70.

The indication follows a weak domestic session on Wednesday, when the Nifty 50 declined 99.25 points, or 0.44 per cent, to close at 22,622.70, while the Sensex fell 251.89 points, or 0.34 per cent, to 72,781.89. Global risk appetite weakened after higher U.S. inflation data revived concerns about the Federal Reserve's interest-rate outlook.

Wall Street declined in the previous session, with technology stocks leading the losses after the inflation data raised concerns about further Federal Reserve rate hikes. The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged down 0.09 per cent to 51,621.48, while the S&P 500 fell 1.11 per cent to 7,718.94. The Nasdaq declined 1.88 per cent to 26,692.87, reflecting sharper weakness in technology shares, including AI-linked stocks. The developments could keep global risk appetite under pressure, particularly for rate-sensitive and high-beta stocks, amid continued foreign institutional investor outflows.

Asian markets were broadly weak in early trade. Japan's Nikkei declined 3.90 per cent, the Shanghai Composite fell 0.88 per cent and Hong Kong's Hang Seng slipped 0.13 per cent. In contrast, European markets closed higher in the previous session, with the FTSE 100 gaining 0.70 per cent, France's CAC 40 rising 0.58 per cent and Germany's DAX adding 0.15 per cent.

Jio Platforms, the telecom and digital services arm of Reliance Industries, has fixed the price band for its proposed initial public offering (IPO) at Rs 1,065 to Rs 1,119 per share. The fresh issue could raise up to Rs 30,213 crore, while eligible Reliance Industries shareholders will have a reservation of up to Rs 2,500 crore. The proposed issue is scheduled to open for subscription on October 21 and close on October 23. The transaction is expected to be India's largest IPO and will be closely watched for its implications for telecom and digital-platform valuations, as well as primary-market liquidity.

Three mainboard IPOs from Zetwerk, Tonbo Imaging and Bonfiglioli Transmissions are opening for subscription on Thursday. The companies raised Rs 2,251.23 crore, Rs 255.36 crore and Rs 759.26 crore, respectively, from anchor investors. The simultaneous offerings will place the spotlight on investor participation and primary-market liquidity across manufacturing, Defence electronics and industrial businesses.

A 0.4 per cent merchant discount rate (MDR) on specified UPI merchant transactions above Rs 2,000 is scheduled to take effect from Thursday. The change is relevant for banks, payment processors, fintech companies and merchant-acquiring businesses because it could alter transaction economics and payment-infrastructure cost recovery.

Wipro's board is scheduled to consider its September-quarter results on October 15. Investors will track the company's earnings and management commentary for signals on discretionary technology spending, deal momentum, margins and the outlook for the IT services sector.

Crude oil prices declined in early trade. Brent crude was trading at USD 104.66 per barrel, down 1.36 per cent, as of 7:00 AM IST on October 15. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell 1.03 per cent to USD 94.97 per barrel. Despite the decline, crude prices remain important for Indian equities because of the country's dependence on oil imports. Movements in energy prices will be monitored by oil marketing companies, aviation businesses and other fuel-intensive sectors.

Gold gained 0.89 per cent to USD 4,143.09, while silver rose 1.10 per cent to USD 56.22. The gains in precious metals amid weakness in global equities may provide an indication of changing investor risk positioning.

The U.S. Dollar Index declined 0.49 per cent to 102.05, while the rupee traded around Rs 95.14 per U.S. dollar, strengthening 0.15 per cent. The U.S. 10-year Treasury yield fell by 0.063 percentage points to 5.123 per cent. Movements in U.S. bond yields remain relevant for global equity valuations and investor appetite for emerging markets.

Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) were net sellers of Indian equities worth Rs 1,857.44 crore in the latest available session, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net buyers of Rs 2,670.44 crore. The contrasting flows highlight continued domestic buying amid foreign selling. These trends may remain important as investors assess the impact of U.S. inflation and interest-rate expectations on emerging-market capital flows.

On Wednesday, October 14, the Nifty 50 closed at 22,622.70, declining 99.25 points, or 0.44 per cent. During the session, the index moved between an Intraday low of 22,558.95 and a high of 22,757.95. The Sensex ended at 72,781.89, down 251.89 points, or 0.34 per cent, after trading between 72,578.75 and 73,195.26. India VIX rose 3.54 per cent to 14.62, indicating higher expected market volatility.

Among stocks to watch, Reliance Industries will remain in focus following Jio Platforms' announcement of its proposed IPO price band of Rs 1,065 to Rs 1,119 per share. The fresh issue could raise Rs 30,213 crore, with up to Rs 2,500 crore reserved for eligible Reliance Industries shareholders. The subscription window is scheduled for October 21 to October 23.

HDB Financial Services reported a 34 per cent year-on-year increase in September-quarter net profit to Rs 780 crore. Revenue from operations rose by more than 10 per cent to Rs 5,005 crore, while net profit margin improved to 15.59 per cent from 12.79 per cent. The company also declared an interim Dividend of Rs 2 per share.

Tata Technologies reported a nearly 4 per cent year-on-year increase in September-quarter net profit to approximately Rs 171 crore. Operating revenue rose 28 per cent to around Rs 1,699 crore, while the company highlighted key deal wins. Investors will assess the results for indications of demand in automotive and manufacturing engineering services.

Bajaj Consumer Care reported a 66 per cent year-on-year increase in September-quarter profit after Tax to Rs 70.2 crore. Operating income rose 25.4 per cent to Rs 332.8 crore, while EBITDA increased 71 per cent to Rs 83.3 crore. Revenue from the domestic business grew by more than 30 per cent.

CEAT reported a nearly 40 per cent year-on-year decline in consolidated September-quarter net profit to Rs 112 crore, despite a 26 per cent increase in revenue from operations to Rs 4,762 crore. EBITDA margin stood at 9.5 per cent, with elevated raw-material costs weighing on profitability.

Disclaimer: The article is for informational purposes only and not investment advice.

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