Share Market Highlights:After last week’s winning streak,share markets opened on a bearish note on Monday. The BSE Sensex slipped over 51 points in early trade to hover around the 78,442.18 mark. Meanwhile, the Nifty 50 slipped 21.60 points to move around the 24,331.95 level. However, both the indices turned green after half an hour of the opening. The strong momentum was indicated by the GIFT Nifty earlier in the day.

GIFT Nifty Today

On Monday, April 20, 2026, the GIFT Nifty was trading near the 24,449 level, signaling a strong start for Indian markets with an expected gap-up of about 81–100 points. Earlier in the session, the index touched the key 24,500 mark before settling slightly lower, indicating sustained optimism after the Nifty 50 extended its winning streak to five consecutive sessions.

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Crude Oil Prices Today

Global crude oil markets are witnessing sharp fluctuations, with Brent crude projected to trade in the range of USD 96 to USD 103 per barrel on April 20, 2026, based on real-time estimates. The spike is largely attributed to rising geopolitical tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, where fresh incidents of ship seizures and naval blockades have added a substantial “war risk premium” to prices. The International Energy Agency has described the situation as an unprecedented supply shock, warning that global oil demand could shrink by nearly 80,000 barrels per day in 2026.

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Asian Markets Today

Indices such as the Kospi have remained notably resilient, outperforming global markets with a weekly jump of more than 5.6% to hover around the 6,200 mark, supported by optimism over a possible U.S.–Iran peace agreement. In the same vein, the Nikkei 225 has recently scaled record levels, aided by strong performance in tech stocks and a softer yen. That said, market sentiment remains somewhat cautious. Although China’s Q1 GDP growth came in stronger than expected at 5%, weaker March activity data has kept gains in check for the Shanghai Composite and the Hang Seng Index.