Sensex, Nifty Today: GIFT Nifty signals cautious start as Crude tops $110

The GIFT Nifty indicated a cautious start for the Indian stock market on Thursday, with futures trading around 45 points lower and below the 22,700 mark in early trade.

Investors will track global cues, including crude oil prices, along with domestic triggers such as second-quarter earnings, which are likely to influence market sentiment during the session.

Key global and domestic cues for October 22, 2026

Asian markets saw a mixed start today. South Korea’s Kospi slipped 0.67%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 edged up 0.19%. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 showed little movement, remaining largely unchanged in early trade.

Oil prices moved higher in early trade, with Brent crude rising 1.10% to $110.02 a barrel. US crude oil prices also gained 0.86% to $97.98 a barrel, keeping energy prices in focus for markets.

US stock futures were trading lower on Thursday. Dow Jones futures slipped 0.3%, down around 170 points, while S&P 500 futures fell 0.5%. Nasdaq-100 futures lost 0.7%.

The US Dollar Index (DXY), which measures the dollar’s value against a basket of six foreign currencies, was trading at 101.70 The index evaluates the strength or weakness of the US dollar in comparison to major currencies.

The basket contains currencies such as the British Pound, Euro, Swedish Krona, Japanese Yen, Swiss Franc, etc. The Indian rupee strengthened 0.50% to close at 94.46 against the US dollar on Wednesday.

US markets ended Wednesday’s session higher, led by gains in technology stocks. The Nasdaq Composite rose 1.05% to close at 26,702.86, while the S&P 500 gained 0.58% to settle at 7,757.17. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also advanced, adding 360.21 points, or 0.69%, to end the session at 52,856.09.

In the latest trading session, COMEX gold down 0.44% to 4,131.90.

The rate for 24-carat gold today is Rs 1,46,070 per 10 grams. The 18-carat gold price today in India is Rs 1,09,550. The 24-carat gold rate in Dubai today is Rs 1,46,100.

In the latest trading session, COMEX silver down 0.59% to 57.37.

Silver prices in India stood at Rs 249.90 per gram, while the price was Rs 2,49,900 per kilogram.

Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) bought shares worth Rs 1,022.32 crore in the cash market on October 21, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) recorded net purchases of Rs 1,614.32 crore.

The information technology sector led the gains, rising 1.83%, while artificial intelligence stocks advanced 1.6%. Digital stocks also traded higher, with the sector gaining 1.05%.

Among business groups, DCM Group led the gains, rising 5.56%, followed by HCL Group, which advanced 3.4%. Bharti Group shares also traded higher, with the group gaining 0.81%. On the losing side, Jaypee Group fell 6.52%, while Ruchi Group declined 6.33% and Jaipuria Group dropped 4.77%.