Stock Market LIVE Updates, Sensex Today: Sensex Drops 115 Points Amid Fresh US-Iran Tensions

Fed's Revised Rate Path Signals Fewer Cuts Ravi Singh, Chief Research OfficerThe FOMC's decided to hold its benchmark rate at 3.50-3.75% for a fifth consecutive meeting with three of twelve voting members pushed for a hike, points to a central bank turning distinctly hawkish. The revised dot plot lifted the median year-end 2026 projection to roughly 3.8% from 3.4% earlier in the year, effectively rules out cuts for now as inflation still remains elevated on the back of firmer crude prices. For the dollar, this hawkish recalibration should lend near-term support, keeping the currency broadly firm and complicating flows for emerging-market currencies, including the rupee which had already seen sharp swings. The narrowing rate differential between Indian and US yields, layered strong momentum in US equity market could cap the scale of fresh FII flows. Foreign investors may prefer to wait for either a domestic growth catalyst or a more decisive outlook before adding meaningfully to Indian exposure. Until that clarity emerges, FII activity is likely to stay two-way and stock-specific rather than broad-based. Cues In The News By Ionic Wealth US Fed Keeps Rates Unchanged, Reaffirms Focus on Price StabilityAnkita Pathak, Head - Global Investments, Ionic AssetIt is clear from this policy, that the FOMC remains committed to bringing inflation back to its 2% target. While inflation moderated in June 2026 following the ceasefire announcement, upside risks persist, driven by higher oil prices amid renewed escalation of the conflict along with potential pressures from food, tariffs and shelter costs. As a result, the path towards lower inflation appears to be more gradual than earlier anticipated. The new Fed Chair has actively refrained from providing forward guidance and instead expects the markets to provide signals of the evolving macroeconomic situation. The differing views within the Committee highlight the uncertainty around the inflation outlook, reinforcing the Fed's data-dependent approach in the coming months. If Fed decides to tighten policy going forward, it could support the US dollar and weigh on commodities and emerging market assets if dollar strength is sustained.The FOMC voted with 9:3 majority to keep the federal fund rate unchanged at 3.50-3.75%. Three committee members voted for 25 bps rate hike. The Fed Chair reiterated committee's commitment to deliver 2% inflation target, while keeping rate hike option open if inflationary pressures remain. While there was a slim possibility of a surprise rate hike in this meeting, the committee chose to keep policy rates unchanged and maintain its data-dependent approach before determining the future policy path.Growth Remains Solid, Jobs Gain Continues, While Inflation Runs Above 2% TargetOverall growth remains resilient supported by productivity growth and strong capital investment. Labour market conditions also remain resilient with no apparent signs of stress- about 111,000 average jobs added in the last three months, while unemployment rate moderated to 4.2% in June 2026.On the other hand, inflation continues to run above the Fed's target of 2.0%, with recent month's CPI and PCE inflation at 3.5% and 4.1% respectively.Fed's Commitment To Deliver 2% Inflation IntactIn the monetary policy statement as well as press conference, the Fed Chair reiterated the committee's focus to reach the 2% inflation target. While the Fed kept policy rates unchanged at this meeting, possibility of future rate hikes remains if inflationary pressures persist. The FOMC also awaits the observations from the inflation task force that was announced in the last policy meeting.Muted Market ReactionMarkets remained choppy despite Fed's pause decision as investors awaited results from major hyperscalers. S&P 500 closed 1.5% lower, while 10Y UST stayed around 4.68% and DXY closed at 100.9 (down ~0.5%).Disclaimer - This view is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as an investment advice. SafeGold and BlueStone partner to enable physical gold to digital gold conversion, mobilising domestic gold and directly reducing gold imports SafeGold, India's leading digital gold platform, has announced a first-of-its-kind partnership with BlueStone, one of India's most innovative and trusted jewellery brands, that allows individuals to digitise their idle physical gold and put it to work - making monetization simple and enabling customers to earn returns on gold that would otherwise sit idle.With this launch, SafeGold extends its existing digital gold product to cover physical gold that customers already own. Users can now bring their old or idle gold jewellery or coins, have it digitised through SafeGold's platform, lease it out and earn a yield of approximately 4% per annum, paid in gold grams, with BlueStone serving as the partner that facilitates the collection and conversion. This has 3 benefits:Gold imports are directly reduced as jewellers are able to use domestically mobilised gold rather than importing new goldConsumers earn a yield on an otherwise idle assetIncreased capital flows to the jewellery industry results in employment and industry growth Capri Loans Collaborates with OpenAI to Bring Enterprise-Grade AI to Lending Operations Capri Global Capital Limited known by the brand name 'Capri Loans', one of the leading, retail-focused Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFC's), today announced that it is working with OpenAI to adopt enterprise grade generative AI across key business functions. The initiative supports Capri Loans' technology-led growth strategy.Over the coming months, Capri Global Capital will explore the deployment of secure AI-powered deployments and workflow tools to enhance customer service, knowledge management and operational processes across its network of more than 1,400 branches, serving over 7.6 lakh customers across India. Lemonn Reports Over 800% Revenue Growth as Retail Participation Accelerates Across India Lemonn (Nu Investors Technologies Pvt. Ltd), a stock broking platform under the PeepalCo Group, reported strong year-on-year (YoY) growth across key business metrics in May 2026, reflecting increasing retail participation in India's equity markets. Revenue from operations grew over 800% year-on-year to Rs 8.97 crore in May 2026 from Rs 99 lakh in the same month last year. During the period, retail order volumes increased 9.08X, rising from 3.05 lakh to 27.71 lakh orders, while the number of active retail traders grew 5.14X, from 4,722 to 24,309.Devam Sardana, Business Head, Lemonn, said, "Our focus over the past year has been on building products that solve real investor needs, listening closely to customer feedback and continuously refining the investing experience. The strong growth we've seen is a reflection of that customer-first approach. Maintaining this structural discipline puts us on a very clear path to breaking even in the near term. Over the next two to three years, our priority is to continue deepening our product stack and refining platform stability to support this accelerating user acquisition." Stock Market Today: Expert View Gaurav Udani, Founder - Thincredblu"Nifty is expected to open higher around 23,900, up nearly 120 points, indicating a positive start supported by improved global cues and easing market sentiment.The recovery could help the index move back towards key resistance levels, but traders should watch whether the gains are sustained after the opening.Technically, 23,700-23,750 will act as the immediate support zone, while 24,000-24,100 remains the key resistance range. A decisive move above resistance could trigger fresh buying and improve the short-term outlook.Despite the positive opening, markets remain sensitive to global developments, and volatility cannot be ruled out.Traders should avoid chasing the gap-up opening and instead wait for confirmation above key resistance levels. A buy on dips approach remains preferable as long as Nifty holds above its immediate support zone." Hybrid ETFs Explained: Can They Help You Beat Stock Market Volatility? Hybrid ETFs are designed to solve one of the biggest dilemmas investors face-choosing between growth and stability. Read full report here Crypto Update By Piyush Walke Piyush Walke, Derivatives Research Analyst, Delta ExchangeThe Federal Reserve held interest rates steady at 3.5%-3.75% on Wednesday, meeting near-universal market expectations and leaving crypto markets to digest a muted response even as equities sold off on a combination of hawkish dissent and a geopolitical shock.The price of Bitcoin dipped around 1% to $63,890 following the Fed's announcement while Ethereum similarly fell by about 1% , now trading for just above $1,900.These came as part of a risk-asset rout by a selloff in Asian chip-stocks. This trend continued on Wednesday as markets showed increasing concern over the debt obligations by semiconductor and AI giants. Oil prices snapped higher as a result, with WTI and Brent crude up 7.6% and 5.4%, respectively. Oil-price hikes could significantly impact trends in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), with inflation concerns having a knock-on effect on interest-rate expectations.For Bitcoin $62,700-$63,000 range marks the first major demand zone. A decisive move below this area could open the door to a decline toward $62,000, with the broader $61,300-$61,900 support region coming into focus thereafter while the immediate resistance zone lies around $65,400-$65,700. Ethereum is also approaching a critical support level around $1,860 after facing rejection in the $1,960-$1,980 range. As of now Ethereum is broadly trading sideways within the range of $1,930-$1,880 Stock Market News: Expert View Vaishali Patel, Senior Manager - Research- Technical Department at JainamThe Nifty 50 opened with an upward gap, gaining 264.85 points (1.10%) and close at 24,250.20 supported by broad-based buying across IT, Metal and FMCG stocks. U.S. markets ended sharply lower after the Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged and signalled a cautious outlook, with investors disappointed by the absence of any clear indication of near-term rate cuts. Asian markets traded mostly lower following the Fed's cautious policy stance and continued weakness in global technology stocks. Crude oil prices traded higher, supported by expectations of stronger economic activity and resilient energy demand.Technically, the current bullish candle suggests the index is attempting to resume its intermediate uptrend after several sessions of consolidation. Nifty is approaching the crucial 24,450-24,500 resistance zone. A decisive breakout above this level could extend the rally towards 24,700 and 24,900-25,000. On the downside, immediate support is placed at 24,050-24,100, while the stronger base lies at 23,850-23,650 coinciding with the rising trendline and the 50-day moving average. As long as the index holds above these levels, the broader trend remains positive, with a buy-on-dips approach favoured. Crypto Update By Akshat Siddhant Akshat Siddhant, Lead quant analyst, MudrexBitcoin rebounded sharply to $64,700 after the Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged at 3.50%-3.75%. The decision also lifted broader risk sentiment, pushing gold close to $4,100 from around $4,000. However, institutional flows remain mixed. US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded a fourth consecutive day of net outflows, taking total withdrawals to $526 million, while Ethereum ETFs extended their inflow streak to a third straight week. With major market triggers out of the way, Bitcoin now needs to reclaim $65,000 to strengthen the recovery, with $63,000 remaining the key support ahead of Friday's monthly close. US Fed Decision: Expert View Rajesh Palviya, Head of Research, Axis Direct The US Federal Reserve's decision to keep interest rates unchanged was widely expected, but the policy statement reinforced its data-dependent approach and signalled that inflation risks remain a key concern. The presence of multiple dissents in favour of a rate hike underscores that the Fed is not yet ready to declare victory over inflation, implying that higher interest rates could persist for longer. This has already pushed US bond yields higher and strengthened the dollar, creating near-term headwinds for global equities, particularly emerging markets.For Indian markets, the immediate impact is likely to be sentiment-driven rather than structural. Elevated US yields could keep foreign portfolio flows volatile, while sectors with premium valuations may witness intermittent profit-taking. However, India's strong domestic macro fundamentals, resilient earnings outlook and healthy liquidity should help cushion the impact. Investors should closely monitor US bond yields, dollar movement and crude oil prices, which together will determine the near-term direction of Indian equities. Stock Market Today: Expert View Rajesh Palviya, Head of Research, Axis Direct The Nifty 50 extended its rebound on Wednesday, advancing 264.85 points, or 1.10%, to close at 24,250.20, while the Sensex gained 888.68 points to settle at 77,654.60. The rally was broad-based, led by information technology as the Nifty IT index climbed 2.32%, with Infosys surging over 4% following upbeat earnings optimism. Buying interest also emerged in metals, pharmaceuticals and private banks, reflecting improving market breadth and investor sentiment.Global cues, however, remain mixed. The US Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged, but an unusually hawkish outcome with three policymakers dissenting in favour of a rate hike pushed long-dated Treasury yields close to two-decade highs.The Dow Jones declined 2.19%, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq lost 1.52% and 1.74%, respectively, amid renewed selling in technology stocks.Despite the weak Wall Street close, Asian markets have opened on a stronger footing, with the Nikkei rebounding sharply by over 1,300 points. Elevated crude oil prices remain the key macro risk after Brent settled above $88 per barrel on escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, keeping inflation concerns alive for import-dependent economies such as India. Meanwhile, GIFT Nifty near 24,330 indicates a flat-to-positive start for domestic equities.Technically, the near-term bias remains neutral to mildly positive. Sustaining above the 24,400 level could pave the way towards 24,600, while immediate support is placed at 24,100, followed by 23,950. The trajectory of crude oil prices and global risk sentiment will remain the key factors influencing market direction in the near term. Crypto Update By Nischal Shetty Nischal Shetty, founder, WazirX"Bitcoin continues to trade in a tight range as markets weigh macro uncertainty against improving regulatory clarity. The latest developments around the U.S. CLARITY legislation have reinforced optimism for long-term institutional adoption, even as investors await the outcome of key policy decisions from the Federal Reserve. Meanwhile, geopolitical tensions and volatility in oil prices are keeping risk assets on edge, while a softer U.S. dollar is offering some support to crypto. Over the last 24 hours, Bitcoin gained 0.50% to reach $64,186, while Ethereum edged up 0.16% to reach $1,911, reflecting cautious as markets await the next major macro trigger." Crypto Update By CoinSwitch Markets Desk BTC briefly moved above $64K after the Fed kept interest rates unchanged at 3.50%-3.75%, but the price dropped as Fed Chair maintained a firm stance on inflation. BTC is now struggling below $64K while futures open interest has climbed to a two-month high, showing that leveraged trading is increasing. Positive funding rates suggest many traders still expect prices to rise. BTC needs to recover above $64K to improve momentum. A fall below $63.3K could trigger selling, while holding support may allow another recovery attempt. Market analysis by Vikram Subburaj Vikram Subburaj, CEO, Giottus.comBitcoin traded near $64,150 on Thursday, up about 0.2% over 24 hours, after the US Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged. The market response remained restrained. Three of the 12 voting policymakers preferred a quarter-point rate increase. The Fed also provided limited guidance on the timing of its next policy move.Immediate support lies around $63,200-$63,000, followed by $62,000. Resistance is visible near $64,600-$65,100, with the recent local high around $66,700 presenting a stronger hurdle. A sustained move above this area would improve the recovery, while a break below $63,000 could return Bitcoin towards the lower end of its recent range.On-chain conditions suggest cautious consolidation rather than a confirmed breakout. Glassnode reported that exchange liquidity has contracted and aggressive selling has eased moderately. However, perpetual-futures buying has weakened, long-position funding costs have cooled sharply and options open interest continues to expand. This indicates reduced speculative conviction alongside expectations of greater future volatility.Institutional demand has also weakened. US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded withdrawals of $225.1 million on July 23, $240.1 million on July 24, $11.6 million on July 27 and $49.7 million on July 28. These four completed sessions produced combined outflows of $526.5 million. July 29 showed a preliminary $57.7 million outflow, with BlackRock's figure still unavailable.Large-cap altcoins were mixed. Ethereum gained 0.5% to about $1,916, while BNB rose 1.2% to $576. XRP slipped 0.3% to $1.08, Solana declined 4.6% to $73.15, and TRON added 0.3% to $0.326. Bitcoin dominance remained elevated near 58.7%, indicating limited broad-market rotation.Markets now imply roughly a 57% probability of a September rate increase. Today's release of second-quarter US GDP and June PCE inflation data will be closely watched. Attention will then turn to Friday's Employment Cost Index, which could determine whether those expectations strengthen further.Our advice: Investors should avoid chasing short-term moves. Staggered accumulation, limited leverage and disciplined position sizing remain preferable until Bitcoin clears $66,700 with renewed spot and ETF demand. Stock Market Today: Check Market Cap Of All BSE Sensex Companies At the close on Wednesday, the total market cap of all BSE Sensex companies stood at Rs 4,83,35,323.