Wall Street closed at fresh record highs on benign US inflation, but GIFT Nifty points to a soft Indian open as Brent near $87 and a threatened US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz keep crude — and the rupee — under pressure.

US close (Aug 13)

The S&P 500 hit a new record, settling +0.65% at 7,799.19; the Nasdaq rose 0.81% and the Dow added 0.13% (~53,840), per Business Standard. The lift came after July CPI and a softer PPI both landed benign, easing fears of a near-term Fed rate hike; chip and tech names led.

Asia now

• Nikkei 225 +0.7% and Kospi +0.9% — Korea's AI/semiconductor trade leads (Samsung, SK Hynix up more than 14% on the week).
• Hang Seng -0.51%; Shanghai Composite near a one-month high around 3,968 (Aug 13 close). The region turned mixed after reversing an early rally.

Europe (prior close)

DAX +0.6%, FTSE 100 -0.4% at 10,789.93, and Euro Stoxx 50 near a record ~6,553.

India lead

GIFT Nifty was quoted at 24,438, down ~30 points, signalling a mildly lower, soft open for the Nifty50.

Commodities, currency & yields

• Brent crude ~$86.84/bbl (-0.26%), steadying after the US threatened to keep its Strait of Hormuz naval blockade in place indefinitely; WTI hovered around $82-83.
• Gold and silver futures softer, -1.1% and -1.5%; MCX gold near ₹1,54,712.
• USD/INR near ₹95.5; dollar index (DXY) ~99.9; US 10-year yield ~4.65%, easing after the benign inflation prints.

Data due today

• India: July trade data (deficit reported ~$15.0bn; merchandise exports a record ~$44.2bn) and July WPI inflation (prior 9.87%).
• US (from ~6:00 PM IST): July retail sales (est +0.2-0.3% MoM), core retail ex-autos (est +0.2% vs -0.2% prior), industrial production (est +0.2%), plus preliminary August Michigan consumer sentiment and 1-year inflation expectations (~4.2%).

A hot US retail print would confirm a resilient consumer — risk-on, but a firmer dollar pressures the rupee. A soft one reinforces the no-hike narrative that is supporting FII flows into India and other EMs.

Movers & headlines

• Tata pack in focus: N Chandrasekaran to step down as Tata Sons chairman (staying till Feb 2027); about ₹44,000 crore was wiped off Tata group stocks, with TCS ~81% of the fall. Tata Motors, though, jumped ~6% on a Q1 beat.
• Heavy Q1 docket: Alkem, Ashok Leyland, NMDC, Voltas, Natco Pharma, Cochin Shipyard and Patanjali Foods among 35+ reporting.
• Listings: Technocraft Ventures (GMP ~+20%) and LEAP India (~+8%) debut; Muthoot FinCorp files a ₹3,000 crore IPO.

What it means for the open

Expect a cautious, slightly-lower start. The benign US inflation backdrop is a tailwind for foreign-investor sentiment, but crude near $87, a weak rupee and profit-booking in the Tata pack cap the upside. Watch Hormuz oil headlines, Q1 result reactions and the US retail-sales print after the close.

As of 8:45 AM IST, Aug 14, 2026. Sources: Business Standard, CNBC, Trading Economics, Investing.com. Automated pre-market brief for discussion and education only — not investment advice. Verify before acting.