Sensex & Nifty End Flat Today: 6 August 2026 Market Report & PSU Banks Rally

Today at a glance

Today, 6 August 2026: Sensex closed at 78,954.76, up 373.76 points (0.48%), while Nifty settled at 24,636 with just 11.35 points (0.05%) of gains. PSU Bank and chemical stocks led the session’s only meaningful pockets of strength. Reliance Industries was the top Nifty gainer; Power Grid the top loser. For SIP investors, flat days like these reinforce why consistency beats chasing volatility.

What happened in the markets today

On Thursday, 6 August 2026, the Sensex today closed at 78,954.76, up 373.76 points or 0.48%, while the Nifty 50 ended virtually unchanged at 24,636, gaining a mere 0.05%. US markets offered mixed cues overnight — the Dow Jones closed at 53,993.31, down 0.65%, while the Nasdaq added 0.2%. Gold traded at ₹4,291 per 10 grams, and crude oil (WTI) hovered at $77.65.

PSU Bank and chemical stocks were the day’s standout performers, while realty and media stocks faced the steepest selling pressure. Most Asian markets declined on Thursday, though European markets were trading higher by early evening. Why did Sensex end flat today? A tug-of-war between PSU Bank optimism and weakness across power, auto, and metal stocks kept indices rangebound.

Movers: PSU Banks gain, power and auto stocks drag Nifty 50

Today’s Nifty 50 gainers were Reliance Industries, SBI, and Bharat Electronics.

Today’s Nifty 50 losers were Power Grid, Tata Steel, and JSW Steel.

Reliance Industries share price today closed at ₹1,325, up 3.52%, buoyed by block deals at a premium to the previous close. Power Grid was the session’s biggest drag, falling 3.90% to ₹270.75 after quarterly results showed a 0.89% year-on-year dip in net profit. PSU Bank and chemical stocks dominated the gainers list, while power, auto, and metal stocks faced selling pressure.

In the news

• LIC — Net profit rose 23.98% year-on-year to ₹13,584 crore in the April-June quarter, driven by higher premium income and an improved solvency ratio.
• Persistent Systems — Launched a voluntary takeover offer to acquire Germany-based Nagarro at EUR 81 per share, creating a $2.9 billion AI-led digital engineering entity with over 46,000 employees across 40 countries.
• Auto retail sales — Indian automobile retail sales grew 25.89% year-on-year to 25.91 lakh units in July, with every category posting best-ever July sales, according to FADA.
• Juniper Green Energy — Listed at ₹245 on NSE, an 8.89% premium over its issue price, and closed 16.67% higher by end of day.
• Government infrastructure — Approved construction of the 135.87 km Guwahati-Tezpur Corridor along NH-15 in Assam, worth ₹8,970 crore.
• Coal production — Output rose 7.51% year-on-year to 69.75 MT in July, while coal dispatch grew 18.03% to 86.85 MT.
• Samvardhana Motherson — Net profit surged 101.64% year-on-year to ₹1,032 crore in the April-June quarter.

Term of the day — Offer for Sale (OFS)

An Offer for Sale is a mechanism through which existing promoters or major shareholders sell their shares directly to investors on the stock exchange. Unlike a fresh share issuance, no new shares are created in an OFS — the money flows to the selling shareholders, not the company.

The sellers set a floor price (the minimum acceptable price) and invite bids from investors. Allocation happens through a bidding process, often on the same day. Companies frequently combine an OFS with an IPO, either as part of the initial listing or as a separate event afterward. For SIP investors, understanding OFS matters because it explains how large shareholders exit or reduce stakes without the company raising fresh capital — a detail that can influence stock price behaviour around such events.

What it means for SIP investors

Days like these — tight 73-point Nifty ranges, flat closes, no clear directional conviction — are exactly when SIP discipline quietly proves its worth. The temptation to pause or skip an SIP during quiet stretches is strong, but compounding rewards investors who stay consistent through both the exciting rallies and the uneventful sessions. PSU Banks rallied while power stocks fell, a reminder that sector rotation is constant and no single day defines your portfolio trajectory. If headlines like these make you question your SIP approach, here’s how experienced investors handle periods of market indecision: cost of delay — why starting SIP early matters. For a broader framework on building a portfolio that weathers these flat stretches, see how to build a mutual fund portfolio from scratch.

Returns snapshot — 1-day & long-term

1-Day Returns:

Long-Term Returns (20-Year CAGR):

Over the past 20 years, Indian indices have delivered stronger annualised returns than the Dow Jones, though Nasdaq’s tech-driven rally has outpaced both. Returns for Sensex and Nifty are in INR terms, while Dow and Nasdaq figures are in USD — direct comparison requires accounting for currency movement.

Data quality notes