Indian equity markets started the trading session on June 1, 2026, with notable gains for benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty. This positive opening was accompanied by a significant drop in the India VIX, the market's volatility gauge, signaling increased investor confidence.
Market Indices See Early Gains
The 30-share BSE Sensex advanced 200 points to reach 74,975 in early deals. Concurrently, the NSE Nifty 50 climbed 23 points, settling at 23,571. This upward movement follows a challenging previous session where Sensex had plunged 1092.06 points (1.44%) and Nifty fell 359.40 points (1.50%).
Volatility Index Dips Sharply
The India VIX, which measures market volatility expectations, saw a substantial decline of 14%, dropping to 13.91 from its previous close of 16.18 on Monday. A lower VIX typically suggests reduced market fear and uncertainty among investors.
Global Factors Influence Sentiment
The positive market sentiment was partly attributed to investors monitoring developments surrounding peace talks between the United States and Iran. Globally, Brent crude oil prices also saw a rise, increasing 2.41% to $93.32 per barrel. This comes after previous surges that saw oil rates climb to $126.41 per barrel amid geopolitical tensions.
Top Movers and Market Breadth
Among the Sensex constituents, several stocks posted strong early gains. IndiGo, Infosys, Asian Paints, Tech Mahindra, TCS, HCL Tech, Reliance Industries (RIL), Tata Steel, and Bajaj Finance were among the top performers, with shares rising up to 3.22%. Conversely, NTPC, Hindustan Unilever (HUL), M&M, Sun Pharma, Trent, Eternal, and BEL were among the top losers, experiencing declines of up to 1.32%.
The broader market displayed positive breadth on the BSE, with 1914 shares advancing against 1619 shares declining, while 205 remained unchanged. Furthermore, 117 stocks hit their 52-week highs, contrasting with 36 shares that touched their 52-week lows.
Expert Outlook
VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Investments, noted, "With the uncertainty over the US-Iran deal continuing and Brent trading at about $93, there are no major triggers for the market at the start of this week. A significant market trend since the start of the West Asia conflict on February 28th is the outperformance of the broader market, which, in turn, was led by better-than-expected Q4 results. Watch out for the May auto sales numbers which will influence stock prices in the segment. Expectations surrounding the monetary policy on June 5th and the RBI commentary on growth and inflation will influence the market trend this week."