Local stock markets are poised for a steady start today. The Gift Nifty April 2026 futures are trading 0.29 points higher, suggesting a mildly positive start for the benchmark index today. The domestic equity market finished marginally higher in last session, with BSE Sensex and Nifty 50 slightly higher.The BSE Sensex has posted modest gains of 0.09% over the last one month, while the NSE Nifty has moved higher 0.27% over the same period. In Asia today, sentiment was cautiously negative. China’s SSE Composite Index drifted lower 0.62% while Japan’s Nikkei 225 edged lower 0.07%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index posted modest losses of 1.99%. Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares worth Rs 542 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net buyers to the tune of Rs 2,124 crore in the Indian equity market on 23 August 2026, provisional data showed. Overnight on Wall Street, stocks inched up across the board. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended higher by 517.80 points, or 0.98%, and closed at 53298.01. The S&P 500 ticked up 0.43% to end at 7695.10, and the NASDAQ Composite posted modest gains of 0.41% to 26193.92. Yesterday, the S&P BSE Sensex 3.11 points or remained flat to 77540.83. The Nifty 50 index 20.15 points or 0.08% to 24252.00. Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd was top gainer in Nifty 50 yesterday, moving higher by 2.87% to Rs 272.40. The stock has edged up around 1.43% in last one-week and stands lower 10.47% over last one-month. In sectoral indices, only Nifty Metal index inched higher yesterday, rising 0.86% on the day.