By FractionalTech Market Research Team | Thursday, August 13, 2026
Indian benchmark equity indices closed on a mixed note on Thursday, August 13, 2026. While softer-than-feared inflation readings in both India (CPI at 3.54%) and the US supported sentiment, gains remained capped by weakness in Metals, Pharma, and select Financial heavyweights amid elevated crude oil prices ($87.69/bbl).
The Nifty 50 declined -40.10 points (-0.16%) to settle at 24,395.85, oscillating between an intraday high of 24,473.30 and a low of 24,338.30. Conversely, the BSE Sensex gained +113.61 points (+0.15%) to close at 78,079.96, driven by selective buying in consumer and retail stocks. Meanwhile, Bank Nifty slipped -171.80 points (-0.30%) to settle at 57,714.05.
OFFICIAL CLOSING SUMMARY ACROSS MAJOR INDEXES
INDEX CLOSING LEVEL NET CHANGE (PTS) PERCENT CHANGE (%)
┌───────────────────┬─────────────────────┬───────────────────┬────────────────────┐
│ Nifty 50 │ 24,395.85 │ -40.10 │ -0.16% │
│ BSE Sensex │ 78,079.96 │ +113.61 │ +0.15% │
│ Bank Nifty │ 57,714.05 │ -171.80 │ -0.30% │
│ Nifty IT │ 31,180.20 │ -152.30 │ -0.49% │
│ Nifty Financials │ 26,245.80 │ -90.80 │ -0.34% │
│ Nifty Smallcap 100│ 18,490.10 │ +12.30 │ +0.07% │
└───────────────────┴─────────────────────┴───────────────────┴────────────────────┘
🔍 Confirmed Closing Level & The “CAS Gap” Difference
Analyzing the gap between the 3:15 PM continuous trading price and the official 3:30 PM Closing Auction Session (CAS) settlement price highlights institutional Market-on-Close (MOC) flows:
3:15 PM Continuous Price: 24,362.40
3:30 PM CAS Settlement: 24,395.85
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▶▶ UN-CROSSING DIFFERENCE: +33.45 POINTS (Positive Gap)
At 3:15 PM, continuous cash trading halted with Nifty near 24,362.40. During the 15-minute Volume-Weighted Average Price (VWAP) auction window, institutional buy orders in FMCG and consumer defensives lifted the final official settlement by +33.45 points to 24,395.85.
⚡ The CAS Effect: How Late Un-Crossing Gaps Impact Options
The 3:15 PM – 3:35 PM Closing Auction Session (CAS) continues to create sharp adjustments in expiry option valuations:
3:15 PM: Cash Continuous Trading STOPS (Index Frozen near 24,362)
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3:15 PM – 3:40 PM: F&O Derivatives Keep Trading
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3:30 PM: CAS Un-Crossing Lifts Cash Index Up by +33.45 Points to 24,395.85
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├─────────────────────────────────────────┐
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OPTION BUYERS CALL OPTION SELLERS (WRITERS)
• 24,400 Call options stagnated • Sold 24,400 Call expecting non-event close
during 3:15–3:29 PM auction window • Post-3:30 PM un-crossing pushed 24,400 CE
• Theta decay eroded premium before close close to At-The-Money, triggering stop-losses
When continuous trading halts at 3:15 PM, derivative prices lose real-time underlying momentum. Today’s +33.45 point un-crossing surge pushed 24,400 CE options close to At-The-Money (ATM) right at settlement, catching short call writers off guard.
🌎 Global & Domestic Cues
1. Domestic Macro Boost: Moderating Inflation
- India July CPI Data: India’s retail inflation (CPI) for July cooled to 3.54% YoY, coming in below the RBI’s medium-term target of 4.0%. This drop in food price inflation strengthens expectations for a potential monetary easing cycle in upcoming RBI policy meetings.
2. Global Markets & Commodities
- US CPI Reaction: US July CPI rose 2.9% YoY, reinforcing expectations for a Federal Reserve rate cut in September.
- Crude Oil Pressures: Brent crude prices traded near $87.69 per barrel, remaining a key concern for energy-sensitive sectors.
- Rupee Movement: The Indian Rupee opened flat and closed near 95.36 against the US Dollar.
🚀 Primary Market Watch: Final Subscriptions, Live Bidding & Allotment Updates
Primary market activity saw significant milestones on Thursday, August 13, 2026:
MAINBOARD IPO SUBSCRIPTION, GMP & ALLOTMENT MATRIX (AUG 13)
COMPANY NAME ISSUE SIZE STATUS TOTAL SUB (x) EST. GMP (%) ALLOTMENT / LISTING STATUS
┌──────────────────┬────────────┬────────────┬───────────────┬──────────────┬─────────────────────────────┐
│ Dhoot Trans. │ ₹3,067 Cr │ ALLOTMENT │ 7.02x │ +₹244 (28%) │ Allotment Finalized (KFin) │
│ Molbio Diag. │ ₹939.7 Cr │ ALLOTMENT │ 5.28x │ +₹137 (17%) │ Allotment Finalized (KFin) │
│ Milky Mist Dairy │ ₹1,553 Cr │ CLOSED │ 3.42x │ +₹20 (14%) │ Allotment Date: Aug 14 │
└──────────────────┴────────────┴────────────┴───────────────┴──────────────┴─────────────────────────────┘
- Dhoot Transmission & Molbio Diagnostics (Allotment Day): Both closed issues finalized their basis of allotment today via their registrar portal (KFintech). Refunds and demat share credits will occur on Friday, August 14, with expected listing on Monday, August 17, 2026.
- Milky Mist Dairy Food Ltd (FINAL DAY CLOSED): The ₹1,553 Crore dairy issue closed today with an overall subscription of 3.42x (NII: 4.85x, Retail: 3.10x). Its grey market premium stands steady at ~14-15% over the upper price band of ₹140.
🎯 What to Expect Tomorrow: Key Technical Levels & Outlook
Technically, Nifty 50 remains bound within its 24,340 – 24,470 range. A decisive breakout above 24,470 is required to open doors toward the 24,520 zone.
NIFTY 50 TECHNICAL BREAKDOWN & PIVOTS
Resistance 2: 24,520 (Heavy Call Open Interest Hurdle)
Resistance 1: 24,470 (Intraday High & Immediate Barrier)
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►► OFFICIAL CLOSING LEVEL: 24,395.85
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Support 1: 24,340 (Intraday Low & Immediate Floor)
Support 2: 24,280 (Key Support Demand Zone)
MAJOR INDIAN INDEX TECHNICAL LEVELS
INDEX SUPPORT 2 SUPPORT 1 CLOSING LEVEL RESISTANCE 1 RESISTANCE 2
┌──────────────┬───────────┬────────────┬───────────────┬──────────────┬──────────────┐
│ Nifty 50 │ 24,280 │ 24,340 │ 24,395.85 │ 24,470 │ 24,520 │
│ BSE Sensex │ 77,550 │ 77,800 │ 78,079.96 │ 78,350 │ 78,650 │
│ Bank Nifty │ 57,250 │ 57,500 │ 57,714.05 │ 58,000 │ 58,300 │
│ Nifty IT │ 30,850 │ 31,000 │ 31,180.20 │ 31,450 │ 31,680 │
└──────────────┴───────────┴─────────🌎 Global Cues & Domestic Sectoral Drivers
1. Domestic Macro Boost: Cooling Retail Inflation & Industrial Growth
- India July CPI Data Drops to 3.54%: India’s retail inflation (CPI) for July cooled significantly to 3.54% YoY (down from 5.08% in June), coming in well below the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) medium-term target of 4.0%. A sharp deceleration in food price inflation (vegetables and pulses) provided a major macro relief, raising expectations of a potential monetary easing cycle or rate cut by the RBI in Q4 2026.
- IIP Output Expansion: India’s Index of Industrial Production (IIP) grew by 4.2% YoY, backed by steady manufacturing activity and capital goods output, demonstrating underlying macroeconomic resilience despite global trade bottlenecks.
2. Global Markets, Federal Reserve Expectations & Crude Oil Pressure
- US CPI Reinforces Fed Rate Cut Bets: US July CPI inflation printed at 2.9% YoY (softening below 3% for the first time in over three years). This data reinforced broad consensus that the Federal Reserve will initiate its first rate cut at the September FOMC meeting, providing a strong liquidity tailwind for Emerging Market (EM) equities.
- Crude Oil Supply Friction: Brent crude oil prices remained elevated near $87.69 per barrel (WTI around $82.50/bbl) due to ongoing navigation bottlenecks in the Strait of Hormuz and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. High energy costs continue to act as a margin headwind for Indian aviation, paints, and auto ancillary companies.
- Currency & Yield Movements: The Indian Rupee held steady near 95.36 against the US Dollar, while the US 10-year Treasury yield softened to 3.84%, capping capital outflows from domestic equity markets.