NIFTY50 this week: Crude oil prices, US Fed minutes, FIIs activity among key market triggers to watch

NIFTY50 and SENSEX closed lower last week as both indices nosedived nearly 1% amid rising crude oil prices and escalation in the US-Iran war. NIFTY50 index closed 0.8% lower at 24,366, while SENSEX closed at 78,009, down 0.6% in the last week of Q1FY27 earnings.

Several NIFTY50 heavyweights like Titan, Grasim, Tata Motors PV and others announced their results in the last phase of the earnings. Among NIFTY50 stocks, Bharat Electronics (+2.4%), Dr Reddy’s Labs (+2.4%), and Titan Company (+2.3%) were the top three gainers, while Max Healthcare Institute (+5.7%), UltraTech Cement (+4.0%), and TCS (+3.7%) were top losers.

Last week, Tata Group stocks were in focus after Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran said he will not seek reappointment when his current term ends on February 20, 2027. Adani Group stocks were also in the spotlight after the US court dismissed fraud charges against the company.

Crude oil prices

Global oil prices snapped their two-week losing streak and advanced over 7% last week amid supply disruption concerns following a standoff between the US and Iran over the control and access of the Strait of Hormuz.

Brent Crude Oil rose over 7% last week to close at $88.6 per barrel, while WTI Crude closed at $82.4 per barrel, up 6.9%, mainly due to supply shortage concerns as tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has dwindled to its lowest level since mid-May. Roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passed through the narrow conduit before the start of the Iran war in late February.

Rising oil prices widen the country's trade deficit, weaken the Indian rupee and increase inflation.

US Federal Reserve minutes

The minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting held on July 28–29, 2026, are scheduled to be released on August 19, 2026. These minutes are crucial because the July gathering resulted in a rare 9–3 split decision vote to keep the federal funds rate unchanged in the 3.50 to 3.75% range.

Investors and overall market participants will look for clues on whether the broader committee's debate is shifting ahead of the next FOMC meeting.

FIIs activity

Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) have been net buyers of Indian equities so far in August 2026. On August 14, FIIs made net purchases of ₹508.12 crore, while DIIs were net buyers worth ₹356.40 crore. So far in August, FIIs have brought in Indian equities worth ₹4,115 crore, while DIIs made net purchases of ₹17,053 crore.

The return of foreign investors is important for Indian markets, as FIIs have remained net sellers in domestic markets for the past several months. FII investment is positive for investor sentiment, injects deep liquidity in the market, strengthens the Indian rupee, and validates global confidence in India's macroeconomic growth.

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