With two hours left in today’s session, Nifty 50 is holding above the 24,275 mark while Bitcoin trades near ₹73.9 lakh and gold sits at a fresh high of ₹1.63 lakh per 10 grams. Here’s your 2 PM markets update.
📈 Afternoon Session: Market Snapshot
Indian benchmark indices are trading modestly higher this afternoon. The Nifty 50 is around 24,279, up roughly 27 points (+0.11%) from the previous close of 24,252, while the Sensex is near 77,667, up about 126 points (+0.16%). Financial services and select IT majors are driving the gains — the Nifty Financial Services index is up 0.22% at 26,261, led by HDFC Life (+2.36%), Muthoot Finance (+1.75%) and Kotak Bank (+1.37%) — while auto and consumer names are lagging. Top gainers on the Sensex include Infosys, HCL Tech and TCS; Titan Company, Asian Paints and Bharat Electronics are among today’s laggards. Broader markets are outperforming, with the BSE 150 Midcap index up 0.3% and the BSE 250 SmallCap index up 0.6%. On the institutional flows front, the latest available data (August 21) showed FIIs as net sellers of ₹542.70 crore in the cash segment, while DIIs remained net buyers of ₹2,124.10 crore — today’s final numbers will be out after market close.
₿ Crypto at 2 PM — Live Prices
Bitcoin is trading around $77,168 (₹73.9 lakh), down a modest 0.2% over the last 24 hours, with the broader crypto market holding a $2.7 trillion valuation and 24-hour volume of $87.2 billion. Ethereum has bucked the trend, up 1.38% to around $2,457 (₹2.35 lakh). Sentiment remains firmly bullish — the Fear & Greed Index reads 73, in “Greed” territory. DeFi activity is picking up too, with the sector’s market cap up 1.6% to $73 billion, while the stablecoin market holds steady at $289.6 billion.
💰 Live Rates — 2 PM IST
| Asset | Price | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Nifty 50 | 24,279 | +0.11% |
| Sensex | 77,667 | +0.16% |
| Bitcoin (BTC) | ₹73.9L / $77,168 | -0.2% (24h) |
| Ethereum (ETH) | ₹2.35L / $2,457 | +1.38% (24h) |
| Gold (10g, 24K) | ₹1,63,080 | +0.47% to +0.96% |
| Silver (1kg) | ₹2,60,000 | +0.92% to +1.7% |
| USD/INR | ₹95.74 | +0.05% |
| Crude Oil (Brent) | $93.09 | -1.38% |
📰 Top 5 Financial News Stories of the Day
- Y Combinator trims Meesho stake via block deal. Y Combinator launched a block deal to sell up to a 1.05% stake in Meesho for about ₹957.5 crore at a floor price of ₹197.5 per share — a discount of up to 4% to the previous close. Investors will watch the stock for volume spikes and price stabilization through the session.
- NTPC Renewable Energy wins big SECI auction. NTPC Renewable Energy Limited emerged as the successful bidder in SECI’s e-reverse auction for assured peak power supply of 6,000 MWh from ISTS-connected renewable energy projects — a meaningful order-book addition for the state-run green energy arm.
- IT and financials cushion a mixed market. Infosys, HCL Tech and TCS led Sensex gainers even as auto and consumer names weighed on sentiment, underscoring a rotation toward IT and financial services in today’s session.
- SEBI pushes bond market access and NSE trading proposal. SEBI has proposed a Fixed Income Channel Partners framework to widen retail participation in bond markets, and is separately evaluating NSE’s proposal to allow its own shares to trade on its platform under the Permitted-to-Trade framework.
- Iran sanctions weigh on crude, keep oil desks on edge. Brent and WTI both slipped today as markets await details of Washington’s sanctions push against Iran, even after Brent had spiked above $93.60 earlier in the week on reports of the UAE suspending trade with Tehran.
🌐 Global Markets & Tomorrow’s Outlook
US futures are steady heading into a relatively quiet data day, with attention fixed on Fed speeches at the Jackson Hole Symposium and next week’s July PCE inflation print and Nvidia earnings. Elevated energy prices, rising deficit spending and heavy corporate credit issuance continue to keep global bond yields in focus. For Indian investors, that means global rate-path chatter and the Iran-driven crude move remain the key overnight triggers to watch — a stable Fed tone and steady oil prices would support a firm opening tomorrow, while any escalation on sanctions could pressure IT and rate-sensitive sectors first.
Data sourced from live market feeds. Last updated: 2:00 PM IST, 24 August 2026. This is for informational purposes only and not investment advice.
