Afternoon Update: Nifty 24,209 | BTC ₹61.7L | Gold ₹1.56L

With two hours left in today’s session, Nifty 50 is holding near 24,209 as weak global cues and a fresh spike in crude oil keep the mood cautious, while Bitcoin has clawed back above $64,000 after briefly dipping under $63,000 earlier this week. Here’s your 2 PM markets update.

📈 Afternoon Session: Market Snapshot

The Sensex was down 359.97 points (0.46%) at 77,368.19 and the Nifty 50 fell 78.40 points (0.32%) to 24,209.25 as of 1 PM, with some estimates through the afternoon showing the index off a slightly smaller 0.24% at 24,230. Nifty Bank slipped 0.28% and India VIX ticked up 0.88%, hinting at a touch more volatility than usual. Both benchmarks opened lower and stayed in the red through the session, pressured by a renewed rise in crude oil after the US-Iran ceasefire expired and worries resurfaced over a possible disruption at the Strait of Hormuz. Tube Investments was the standout gainer, jumping around 9% on the day, while Infosys, InterGlobe Aviation (IndiGo) and Max Healthcare Institute led the Nifty 50 losers. Asian peers were weak too, with Japan’s Nikkei down 1.66% and Hang Seng and Shanghai Composite both trading lower. On flows, FIIs were net sellers of ₹2,535.10 crore in the cash segment in the most recent session, while DIIs stepped in as net buyers of ₹5,101.50 crore, cushioning some of the downside pressure.

₿ Crypto at 2 PM — Live Prices

Bitcoin is trading around $64,493 (about ₹61.7 lakh), up roughly 2.2% over the past 24 hours as buyers returned following a weekly low near $63,000. Ethereum is changing hands near $1,906 (about ₹1.82 lakh). On the news side, the US SEC abruptly canceled a planned meeting to vote on new capital-raising rules for crypto startups, citing a scheduling issue, while rising 30-year Treasury yields — near a two-decade high — have added fresh macro pressure on risk assets including crypto.

💰 Live Rates — 2 PM IST

📰 Top 5 Financial News Stories of the Day

1. Crude oil spike weighs on Indian equities — Brent climbed above $91 and WTI jumped over 4% after the US-Iran ceasefire lapsed and fears grew over a possible Strait of Hormuz disruption. Higher oil is a direct drag on India’s import bill and inflation outlook, and it’s the single biggest reason Sensex and Nifty opened and stayed in the red today.
2. Tube Investments surges 9% — The stock was the standout gainer on the Nifty today, bucking the broader weak trend. It’s worth watching whether the move holds into the close or fades with the rest of the market.
3. DIIs cushion FII selling — Domestic institutions bought a net ₹5,101.50 crore in the cash segment even as FIIs sold ₹2,535.10 crore, a pattern that has repeatedly limited how far Indian indices fall on weak-global-cue days this year.
4. Bitcoin bounces back above $64,000 — After slipping below $63,000 on geopolitical uncertainty and thinner institutional flows, BTC recovered on renewed buying. The SEC’s last-minute cancellation of a vote on crypto capital-raising rules adds some near-term regulatory uncertainty investors are watching.
5. Asian markets broadly lower — Japan’s Nikkei fell 1.66% and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng and China’s Shanghai Composite also traded in the red, reinforcing the risk-off tone that carried into the Indian afternoon session.

🌐 Global Markets & Tomorrow’s Outlook

Overnight, keep an eye on US 30-year Treasury yields, which are sitting near a near-two-decade high and pressuring both equities and crypto globally. Crude oil and any headlines on the Strait of Hormuz will remain the key swing factor for Indian markets tomorrow morning — a further escalation could extend today’s selloff, while any de-escalation news could spark a quick relief rally. Asian cues will also be worth watching after today’s broad regional weakness led by Japan.

Data sourced from live market feeds. Last updated: 2:00 PM IST, 18 August 2026. This is for informational purposes only and not investment advice.

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