Closing Bell: Nifty 50 Closes Lower as Adani Stocks Drag; DIIs Offer Crucial Support | 31 Aug 2026, 03:45 PM IST
By ThePip Desk
Indian equity benchmarks concluded Monday’s session in negative territory, with the Nifty 50 settling at 24050.25, down 125.40 points. Significant declines in Adani group shares exerted downward pressure, while domestic institutional investors provided a counterbalance.
Indian equity markets closed lower on Monday, 31 August 2026, as selling pressure across several key sectors weighed on benchmarks. These are the final settled closing figures for the session. The Nifty 50 declined by −125.40 points, or −0.52%, to settle at 24050.25. The Nifty Bank also saw a modest dip, closing at 57397.35, down −98.95 points (−0.17%). The broader market, represented by the NIFTY Midcap 100, finished at 63669.05, registering a loss of −400.45 points (−0.63%).
Indian Benchmarks Settle Lower
Here is a summary of the major Indian indices at the close of trading on Monday, 31 August 2026:
| Index Name | Close | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nifty 50 | 24050.25 | −125.40 | −0.52% |
| Nifty Bank | 57397.35 | −98.95 | −0.17% |
| NIFTY Midcap 100 | 63669.05 | −400.45 | −0.63% |
Adani Stocks Lead Declines, Financials and Auto Gain
The session was marked by notable movements among individual stocks. Adani group companies were prominent among the day’s top losers, while select banking and auto stocks managed to post gains.
| Top 10 Gainers | Close (₹) | Change % |
|---|---|---|
| ICICI Bank Ltd. (ICICIBANK) | 1443.3 | +1.44% |
| Grasim Industries Ltd. (GRASIM) | 3318.5 | +0.87% |
| Bajaj Auto Ltd. (BAJAJ-AUTO) | 11997 | +0.73% |
| Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M) | 3354.7 | +0.62% |
| Reliance Industries Ltd. (RELIANCE) | 1294.9 | +0.61% |
| Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. (MARUTI) | 13455 | +0.59% |
| Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Ltd. (ONGC) | 233.05 | +0.34% |
| Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (SUNPHARMA) | 1925 | +0.26% |
| Coal India Ltd. (COALINDIA) | 401.8 | +0.20% |
| Bharat Electronics Ltd. (BEL) | 412.6 | +0.17% |
| Top 10 Losers | Close (₹) | Change % |
|---|---|---|
| Adani Enterprises Ltd. (ADANIENT) | 2965.7 | −6.40% |
| Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd. (ADANIPORTS) | 1650.1 | −3.36% |
| Eternal Ltd. (ETERNAL) | 318.15 | −3.00% |
| Tata Steel Ltd. (TATASTEEL) | 181.8 | −2.52% |
| Hindalco Industries Ltd. (HINDALCO) | 1017.35 | −1.93% |
| JSW Steel Ltd. (JSWSTEEL) | 1312 | −1.72% |
| Infosys Ltd. (INFY) | 1125.1 | −1.65% |
| Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (BPCL) | 314 | −1.64% |
| HDFC Bank Ltd. (HDFCBANK) | 709.7 | −1.47% |
| Bajaj Finance Ltd. (BAJFINANCE) | 1064.4 | −1.44% |
Among the top gainers, ICICI Bank Ltd. closed +1.44% higher, following its Board’s approval of an overseas borrowing limit up to $5.00 billion. Grasim Industries Ltd. also advanced +0.87%, buoyed by its Q1 consolidated net profit jumping 51% and total income increasing by 21.16%. Bajaj Auto Ltd. gained +0.73%, after unveiling new Pulsar models and reporting a 30% rise in July sales, with total exports up 39%.
Conversely, Adani Enterprises Ltd. plummeted −6.40%, making it the top loser, while Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd. fell −3.36%. Metal stocks also faced pressure, with Tata Steel Ltd. down −2.52%, Hindalco Industries Ltd. dropping −1.93%, and JSW Steel Ltd. losing −1.72%. Private banking major HDFC Bank Ltd. also saw a decline of −1.47%.
Institutional Flows
For the session ending Monday, 31 August 2026, Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) were net sellers, offloading equities worth ₹5,039.8 crore. Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) provided a significant counter-balance, emerging as net buyers with an inflow of ₹5,183.93 crore, largely absorbing the FII selling pressure.
What to Watch
Investors will monitor global cues and any further corporate announcements that emerge before the market opens for Tuesday’s trading session.