Pre-Market Brief: Nifty Opens Friday at 22687 as FII Selling Pressure Weighs on Markets | 23 Oct 2026, 08:00 AM IST

Key Highlights
Nifty 50 closes at 22687.65 as FIIs offload ₹3458.7 crore. Investors brace for volatility at 9:15 AM following a broad-based decline in midcap indices.
Based on 22 October 2026 closing prices, the Indian equity markets enter Friday, 23 October 2026, on a cautious note. The concluded Thursday’s session at 22687.65, marking a decline of −0.54%. The broader market sentiment remained dampened, with the Nifty Midcap 100 index shedding −0.87% to close at 57063.95.
| Index | Close | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Nifty 50 | 22687.65 | −0.54% |
| Nifty Bank | 54925.70 | −0.09% |
| Nifty Midcap 100 | 57063.95 | −0.87% |
Flows and Institutional Activity
Institutional participation remains a focal point for traders. In the previous session, Foreign Institutional Investors (FII) net sold ₹3458.7 crore, while (DII) provided support with a net purchase of ₹2891.32 crore. This marks the return of net selling by FIIs after a brief respite in the prior session.
Market Movers and Sectoral Performance
Despite the overall negative trend, specific stocks saw buying interest. Bajaj Finance Ltd. led the gains, rising +1.74% to ₹942.1, followed by Cipla Ltd. at +1.29% and Ultratech Cement Ltd. at +1.00%. Conversely, selling pressure was evident in Nestle India Ltd., which dropped −2.78%, and Reliance Industries Ltd., which fell −2.03%.
Market participants will be closely monitoring the 9:15 AM opening bell to see if the Nifty 50 can find immediate support near current levels.