Sensex and Nifty Close Higher Amid Global Market Gains

Indian stock markets closed higher on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, with the Sensex gaining 568 points (0.75%) to reach 76,071, and the Nifty rising 172 points (0.74%) to settle at 23,581. This uptick aligns with gains in global markets, even as investors remain cautious due to the ongoing US-Iran conflict in the Middle East.

In the broader market, the Nifty Midcap 100 increased by 1%, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 advanced 0.65%. Sector-wise, Nifty Auto and Nifty Metal led the gains, whereas Nifty IT and Nifty FMCG sectors experienced declines.

Asian markets presented a mixed picture: Japan's Nikkei 225 slipped 0.1% to 53,700.39, South Korea's Kospi surged 1.6% to 5,640.48, Hong Kong's Hang Seng edged up 0.1% to 25,668.54, and the Shanghai Composite declined 0.9% to 4,049.91. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 advanced 0.4% to 8,614.30 following an interest rate hike by the central bank to 4.1%.

On Wall Street, the S&P 500 rose 1%, marking its largest gain in five weeks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.8%, while the Nasdaq Composite jumped 1.2%.

Oil prices rose by about 4% on Tuesday, with Brent crude futures jumping $3.52 (3.5%) to $103.73 a barrel, and U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude gaining $3.79 (4.1%) to $97.29. This increase follows Iranian attacks on the United Arab Emirates, rekindling supply concerns amid the ongoing conflict.

Silver prices also saw an uptick, with MCX silver rates rising 2% to ₹2,61,457 per kg, and gold prices advancing 0.8% to ₹1,56,996 per 10 grams. In international markets, spot silver rose 0.6% to $81.28 per ounce, while spot gold firmed 0.4% to $5,023.19 per ounce as of 0251 GMT.