Markets surged at the open on Wednesday, April 15, with the Sensex jumping 1,274 points and the Nifty50 gaining over 380 points, as hopes of renewed U.S.-Iran diplomatic talks and a sharp fall in crude oil prices lifted sentiment across sectors.

The Sensex, which closed at 76,847.57 on Monday, opened at 77,981.10 and was trading at 78,121.75, up 1.66 per cent, as of 9.16 AM. The Nifty50, which had closed at 23,842.65, opened at 24,163.80 and was at 24,224.10, up 381.45 points or 1.60 per cent at the same time.

The rally was broad-based, led by aviation, metals, cement, financials and paints. IndiGo (InterGlobe Aviation) was the top gainer on the Nifty50, rising 4.40 per cent to ₹4,622.20, from a previous close of ₹4,427.20. The stock opened at ₹4,624.00 and hit a high of ₹4,630.00. Hindalco followed with a 3.50 per cent gain to ₹1,012.45, from ₹978.25. UltraTech Cement advanced 3.23 per cent to ₹11,874.00, from a previous close of ₹11,502.00, touching a high of ₹11,950.00. Shriram Finance rose 2.97 per cent to ₹1,033.90 from ₹1,004.10, while Asian Paints gained 2.88 per cent to ₹2,420.20 from ₹2,352.40.

The trigger for the gap-up opening was U.S. President Donald Trump signalling a second round of U.S.-Iran negotiations, potentially hosted by Pakistan, within two days of the first round. Brent crude fell sharply to around $95 per barrel as fears of supply disruptions eased. The GIFT Nifty had indicated a gap-up of approximately 326–375 points ahead of the open.

Devarsh Vakil, Head of Prime Research at HDFC Securities, noted that..."Nifty took support at the 20-day EMA and recovered more than 300 points from the low, ending near the high, suggesting strength... the swing low at 23,555 is likely to act as strong support going forward, while the 24,300–24,500 band poses near-term resistance."

On the global front, the Nasdaq Composite rose 2 per cent on Tuesday, completing its tenth consecutive positive session — its longest winning streak since 2021 — pushing back into positive territory for 2026. The Dow Jones added approximately 300 points. Japan's Nikkei rose over 1 per cent and South Korea's Kospi gained over 3 per cent in Asian trade on Wednesday, reflecting improved global risk appetite.

Cooler U.S. inflation data added to the positive tone. The March Producer Price Index rose only 0.5 per cent, well below the 1.1 per cent consensus estimate, pushing the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield down to 4.25 per cent and raising expectations of a more accommodative Federal Reserve stance. Spot gold climbed above $4,800 per ounce.

Hariprasad K, SEBI-registered Research Analyst and Founder of Livelong Wealth, said..."India VIX, which closed at 20.5 on Monday, is likely to soften toward the 18 level as fear subsides... this easing in volatility is expected to have a direct impact on options pricing, with premiums likely to decline."

On the domestic macro front, India's CPI inflation for March 2026 came in at 3.40 per cent year-on-year, within the Reserve Bank of India's target band. Food inflation stood at 3.87 per cent. Vikrant Chaturvedi, Associate Director – Research at Brickwork Ratings, stated..."headline inflation is expected to hover near current levels in the second half of the year, provided supply-side conditions remain favourable... the RBI is likely to maintain its neutral stance through the next quarter."

On Monday, Foreign Institutional Investors were net sellers, offloading equities worth ₹1,983 crore, while Domestic Institutional Investors were net buyers, purchasing equities worth over ₹2,400 crore.

Only three Nifty50 stocks were in the red. Dr. Reddy's Laboratories fell 2.52 per cent to ₹1,204.80 from ₹1,235.90. ONGC declined 1.36 per cent to ₹283.65 from ₹287.55, and Coal India slipped 0.78 per cent to ₹431.70 from ₹435.10 — the latter two likely under pressure as lower crude and energy prices weigh on energy sector valuations.

Gaurav Udani, Founder of ThinCredBlu Securities, cautioned that..."with the index approaching higher levels, price action near resistance will be crucial... traders should avoid chasing at higher levels and instead look for buy on dips opportunities with proper risk management."

Markets remain sensitive to geopolitical news flow, crude oil price movements, currency fluctuations and FII activity, with the quarterly earnings season now beginning to add another layer of stock-specific movement.

Published on April 15, 2026