A risk-on relief mood is building into the open: the US and Iran paused strikes for a second straight day over the weekend and Tehran reciprocated, and the de-escalation sent crude tumbling — handing India's oil-sensitive market a chance to snap a five-session losing streak. GIFT Nifty is pointing to a green open even as Asia trades mixed.

US — prior close (Fri, Jul 24)

Wall Street ended a choppy week split. The Dow rose 0.46% to 51,947 and the S&P 500 edged up 0.05% to 7,412, but the Nasdaq slipped 0.64% to 24,976 as chip and memory names sold off (Intel fell ~6.5%, SanDisk ~11%). All three indices still booked weekly losses, the Nasdaq down ~2% on the week — per Yahoo Finance and TheStreet.

Asia — live now

Mixed after reversing early gains despite the oil drop. Japan's Nikkei 225 was ~0.15% lower and South Korea's Kospi ~1% down; China's CSI 300 opened near 4,784, per Business Standard and CNBC. Cheaper oil helps importers, but chip-linked weakness from Wall Street capped the upside.

Europe — prior close (Fri)

Strong finish on solid earnings and better PMIs: DAX +1.36% to 25,099, FTSE 100 +0.91% to 10,736, Euro Stoxx 50 +1.1% to 6,281 (Trading Economics).

India lead

GIFT Nifty ~23,931, up ~124 points (+0.5%), implying a positive Nifty open (Business Standard). It follows Friday's fifth straight fall — Sensex −331 pts to 76,060 and Nifty −102 pts to 23,767, dragged by autos and metals, though Nifty Bank held up.

Commodities, currency & yields

Brent slid below $90 (about −7%) and WTI eased in tandem as supply-disruption fears faded (Business Standard, Bloomberg). Gold ~$4,066/oz (Investing.com). The rupee closed near 96.57/$, close to record lows on Friday — a sustained oil drop is the single biggest relief lever for it. US 10Y yield ~4.67%; dollar index near 101.4.

Data due — today & this week

Today (US): Durable Goods Orders (Jun) forecast +1.6% vs −4.5% prior; core +0.9%; and the Dallas Fed manufacturing index (−12.0 est.). The week's marquee event is the FOMC decision on Wed, Jul 29 (11:30 PM IST) — markets lean toward a hold at 3.50–3.75%, with a slim hike risk — followed by US Q2 GDP and the Fed's preferred June PCE inflation print later in the week. At home it's a heavy Q1 FY27 earnings stretch (IDFC First Bank, DCB Bank today) with NSE monthly F&O expiry on Tue, Jul 28. A soft PCE would ease rate-cut worries and support emerging markets like India; a hot print could revive the dollar and pressure the rupee.

Headlines moving the tape

US–Iran strike pause and reciprocal Iranian restraint are the dominant driver; the Strait of Hormuz risk premium is unwinding. Q1 results season is the main stock-specific catalyst at home, while global tech sentiment stays shaky after the overnight chip sell-off.

What it means for the India open

The oil crash and calmer Middle East set up a positive, relief-led open that could break the five-day losing run, with OMCs, aviation and rate-sensitives the likely beneficiaries and the rupee getting breathing room. But gains may be kept in check ahead of Wednesday's Fed decision and by weak global tech cues, so expect a firm start that turns stock-specific as Q1 earnings roll in.

As of 08:45 IST, Mon 27 Jul 2026. Sources: Business Standard, Yahoo Finance, TheStreet, CNBC, Trading Economics, Investing.com. Automated pre-market brief for discussion and education only — not investment advice. Verify before acting.