Share Market 31 August 2026: Nifty, Sensex, Bank Nifty

Share Market Today, 31 August 2026: Nifty, Sensex End Lower

New Delhi, August 31, 2026: Indian equity markets ended the last trading session of August on a weak note. The Nifty 50 and BSE Sensex closed lower, while banking stocks showed mixed movement. The market remained under pressure because of higher crude oil prices, renewed geopolitical concerns, global rate-hike worries and volatility linked to the MSCI index rebalancing.

The Nifty 50 closed at 24,071.85, according to historical market data, while the Sensex settled at 76,957.27. The Nifty declined around 0.4%, while the Sensex fell 307.24 points, or about 0.40%.

Nifty, Sensex and Bank Nifty Today

The Nifty Bank was relatively more stable than the broader market. Business Today reported the index at 57,396.60, down 99.70 points, or approximately 0.17%, on August 31.

Why Did the Share Market Fall Today?

Several factors influenced Monday's trading session.

1. Crude Oil Prices Above $90

Brent crude moved above the $90-per-barrel level as renewed US-Iran tensions raised concerns about global energy supplies. Higher crude prices can increase inflationary pressure and put additional pressure on oil-importing economies such as India.

2. US Federal Reserve Rate-Hike Concerns

Investors also remained cautious because of expectations that US interest rates could remain higher for longer. Rising US bond yields generally make emerging-market assets relatively less attractive.

3. MSCI Rebalancing Volatility

The August 31 session also faced additional volatility because of MSCI index changes becoming effective from September 1. India's new Closing Auction Session was undergoing one of its first major tests during a large institutional rebalancing event.

4. Weak Market Breadth

The market's internal breadth remained weak. At midday, only 11 Nifty 50 stocks were advancing against 38 declines, with one unchanged.

10 Gaining Stocks on 31 August 2026

The following are notable Nifty/NSE gainers from a late-session market snapshot, rather than a claim that these were the final top 10 gainers across the entire NSE.

The late-session NSE snapshot from IIFL showed gains across selected automobile, banking, pharmaceutical and large-cap stocks.

ICICI Bank

ICICI Bank remained one of the strongest large-cap banking names during the session. A late-session snapshot showed the stock around ₹1,443.30, up 1.44%.

Grasim Industries

Grasim gained around 0.87% in the late-session snapshot, making it one of the stronger Nifty constituents despite the weak broader market.

Bajaj Auto

Bajaj Auto traded around ₹11,997 and was up approximately 0.73% in the same market snapshot.

10 Declining Stocks on 31 August 2026

Among major Nifty stocks, the following were among the notable decliners reported during the session:

HDFC SKY's 3:30 PM snapshot identified Adani Enterprises as the biggest loser at -6.40%, followed by Adani Ports, Eternal, Tata Steel and Hindalco.

Adani Enterprises

Adani Enterprises witnessed the sharpest decline among the highlighted Nifty stocks, falling 6.40% in the 3:30 PM snapshot. The stock was one of the biggest drags on the index during the session.

Adani Ports

Adani Ports also faced heavy selling pressure and was down 3.36% in the late-session snapshot.

Tata Steel and Hindalco

Metal stocks remained under pressure. Tata Steel declined 2.52%, while Hindalco fell 1.93% in the 3:30 PM snapshot.

Bank Nifty Today

The Nifty Bank closed around 57,396.60, down 99.70 points or approximately 0.17%. The banking index was comparatively resilient because some major banks managed to remain in positive territory.

ICICI Bank was among the stronger banking stocks, while Kotak Mahindra Bank declined around 1.30%. SBI also gained during the session, closing at ₹1,060 according to MarketWatch data.

Market Outlook

The August 31 session highlighted a clear divergence between individual stocks and the broader market. Selected banks and automobile stocks showed resilience, but metals, IT, infrastructure-linked stocks and several financial counters faced selling pressure.

The next trading sessions will likely remain sensitive to crude oil prices, US Federal Reserve expectations, foreign fund flows, geopolitical developments and the impact of MSCI-related portfolio adjustments.

Disclaimer: Stock prices can change rapidly. The gainers and losers listed above include market snapshots taken during the trading session and should not be treated as investment recommendations. Investors should verify live prices and conduct their own research before making investment decisions.