DayStarter

Renewed Middle East tensions and a crude-oil surge dragged Indian equities lower, with the Nifty 50 closing down 0.66% at 24,052.05

DayStarter, Vol. I, No. 44, by Devraj Pant. Renewed Middle East tensions and crude oil moving above $80 per barrel dragged Indian equities lower; the Nifty 50 closed down 0.66% at 24,052.05 and the Sensex down 0.72% at 77,054.94. Pharma and metals were the strongest sectors, while realty, public-sector banks, autos, banks and information technology were among the weakest, and HCLTech fell more than 4% after weak guidance and an AI-related revenue warning. Brent crude ended at $86.74, up $3.71, and the rupee weakened, with reports giving closing figures of 96.16 and 96.33 per US dollar. India’s WPI inflation rose to a record 9.87% and CPI inflation rose to 4.38%, above the RBI’s 4% target, while the monsoon deficit narrowed to 19.3%. The ₹9,812.91 crore SBI Funds Management IPO opened as a pure Offer for Sale priced at ₹545-₹574.

Market snapshot

Equities, commodities, currency, bonds and institutional flows. The USD/INR and crude figures come from more than one report; the differences are explained below.

24,052.05
Nifty 50 close, -0.66%
The index closed at 24,052.05, down 0.66% from the previous close of 24,211.00. The fall was linked to renewed Middle East tensions and crude oil moving above $80 per barrel.
$86.74
Brent crude, up $3.71
Brent crude futures rose 5% to more than $87 per barrel during the day before easing to around $85, after President Trump reduced his threat to charge vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
96.16
USD/INR (Mint/PTI), the rupee down 48 paise
Mint and PTI report that the rupee weakened by 48 paise and closed at 96.16. Rising crude prices and renewed geopolitical concerns put pressure on the rupee.

Equities and sectors

The Nifty 50 opened 143 points lower at 24,068 and fell below 24,050 in early trade. It recovered to around 24,140-24,145 by late morning, but selling returned after 1:30pm. The index closed at 24,052.05, down 0.66% from the previous close of 24,211.00. The fall was linked to renewed Middle East tensions and crude oil moving above $80 per barrel.

The Sensex closed at 77,054.94, down 0.72% from 77,616.40. Broader indices also fell. The Nifty Next 50 declined 0.34% to 71,851.60, the Nifty Midcap 150 fell 0.49% to 23,053.90, the Nifty Smallcap 250 fell 1.12% to 17,968.30, and the Nifty Microcap 250 declined 0.97% to 25,288.15.

Exhibit 1
Every benchmark fell; the Nifty Smallcap 250 led declines at -1.12%
Benchmark and broad-market index day change, %, 14 July 2026 close
Nifty 50 -0.66 Sensex -0.72 Nifty Next 50 -0.34 Nifty Midcap 150 -0.49 Nifty Smallcap 250 -1.12 Nifty Microcap 250 -0.97 Every benchmark and broad-market index closed lower, with smallcaps leading the fall

Zerodha AfterMarket Report

Pharma and metals were the strongest sectors. Realty, public-sector banks, autos, banks and information technology were among the weakest.

Pharma and metals led the sector board; realty and PSU banks lagged
Nifty sectoral index, 14 July 2026 close
Sector indexCloseChange
Nifty Pharma25,907.10+1.03%
Nifty Metal12,677.70+0.61%
Nifty Consumer DurablesNot stated+0.02%
Nifty EnergyNot stated-0.04%
Nifty MediaNot stated-0.31%
Nifty FMCGNot stated-0.58%
Nifty ServiceNot stated-0.70%
Nifty IT28,724.75-1.00%
Nifty Bank57,462.30-1.15%
Nifty Auto26,547.50-1.61%
Nifty PSU Bank8,307.90-1.80%
Nifty Realty918.65-1.97%

Zerodha AfterMarket Report

Exhibit 2
Pharma and metals led the sector board; realty fell furthest at -1.97%
Nifty sectoral index day change, %, 14 July 2026 close
+1.03 Pharma +0.61 Metal +0.02 Cons. Dur. -0.04 Energy -0.31 Media -0.58 FMCG -0.70 Service -1.00 IT -1.15 Bank -1.61 Auto -1.80 PSU Bank -1.97 Realty

Zerodha AfterMarket Report

F&O winners and losers

HCLTech fell more than 4% after the company reported its weakest full-year growth guidance in four years and warned that artificial intelligence could reduce revenue by 2-3% over the coming years.

Biocon led F&O winners at +6.34%; HCLTech led losers at -4.63%
F&O stocks, close and change, 14 July 2026 close
WinnersCloseChangeLosersCloseChange
BIOCON437.00+6.34%HCLTECH1,164.60-4.63%
CONCOR492.65+6.19%LODHA1,147.95-4.23%
ADANIPOWER225.98+4.88%SHRIRAMFIN1,012.10-3.43%
MCX2,899.00+4.20%KFINTECH895.00-3.33%
KALYANKJIL531.00+3.99%NBCC98.19-3.25%

Zerodha AfterMarket Report; Zerodha Technicals; Mint, “Big deals not enough for HCL,” Harsha Jethmalani

Exhibit 3
Biocon led F&O winners, rising 6.34%
Top F&O winners, day change, %, 14 July 2026 close
BIOCON CONCOR ADANIPOWER MCX KALYANKJIL +6.34 +6.19 +4.88 +4.20 +3.99 Biocon and Concor led F&O gainers on 14 July 2026

Zerodha Technicals

Exhibit 4
HCLTech led F&O losers, falling 4.63% after weak guidance and an AI warning
Top F&O losers, day change, %, 14 July 2026 close
-4.63 HCLTECH -4.23 LODHA -3.43 SHRIRAMFIN -3.33 KFINTECH -3.25 NBCC HCLTECH led the F&O losers on 14 July 2026

Zerodha Technicals

Commodities and currency

MCX commodity futures rose across the board, led by crude oil at +5.71%
MCX futures, price and change, 14 July 2026 close
MCX futuresPriceChange
Gold, ₹/10g₹1,40,948.00+0.46%
Silver, ₹/kg₹2,20,746.00+1.39%
Crude oil, ₹/barrel₹7,780.00+5.71%
Natural gas₹279.60+0.43%
Zinc₹377.30+0.84%
Copper₹1,314.85+1.43%
Aluminium₹344.40+1.35%

Zerodha AfterMarket Report

Exhibit 5
MCX crude oil rose 5.71%, leading commodity gains as all futures ended higher
MCX futures day change, %, 14 July 2026 close
Crude oil Copper Silver Aluminium Zinc Gold Natural gas +5.71 +1.43 +1.39 +1.35 +0.84 +0.46 +0.43 Crude oil dwarfed the rest of the metals and energy complex

Zerodha AfterMarket Report

Brent crude

Brent crude futures rose 5% to more than $87 per barrel during the day before easing to around $85. The move came after US President Donald Trump reduced his threat to charge vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Brent ended at $86.74, up $3.71. Another report said Brent had risen as much as 13% during the week and traded above $86 because of Iran-linked supply disruptions.

These figures refer to international Brent crude in US dollars. They are separate from the rupee-denominated MCX crude oil contract shown above.

USD/INR: Two different closing figures

Zerodha lists USD/INR at 96.33, up 0.55% from 95.81. Mint and PTI report that the rupee weakened by 48 paise and closed at 96.16. They also report an opening level of 95.95, an intraday low of 96.33 and Monday’s close of 95.68. Zerodha’s closing figure is the same as the intraday low reported by PTI, so the two figures may refer to different quote windows. Rising crude prices and renewed geopolitical concerns put pressure on the rupee.

Bond yields

The US 10-year government bond yield rose to 4.60% from 4.56%, an increase of 0.88%. The India 10-year government bond yield rose to 6.80% from 6.73%, an increase of 0.98%.

Exhibit 6
Both the US and India 10-year yields rose, to 4.60% and 6.80%
10-year government bond yield, previous and latest, %
Previous Latest 4.56% 4.60% US 10-year 6.73% 6.80% India 10-year Bars rise from a shared baseline; the small day-on-day change in each yield is intentionally slight.

Zerodha AfterMarket Report

Institutional flows

Foreign institutional investors were net buyers of ₹1,365 crore over the five sessions shown, while domestic institutional investors bought a net ₹6,657 crore.

DIIs bought a net ₹6,657 crore over five sessions, well ahead of FIIs at ₹1,365 crore
FII and DII net flows by day, ₹ crore
DateFII net, ₹ croreDII net, ₹ crore
13 July-3,062.0+2,172.0
10 July+2,604.0+2,020.0
9 July-533.0+2,058.0
8 July+1,963.0+790.0
7 July+393.0-383.0
Five-day total+1,365.0+6,657.0

Zerodha AfterMarket Report; NSE

Exhibit 7
DIIs bought a net ₹6,657 crore over five sessions, well ahead of FIIs at ₹1,365 crore
Net institutional flows by day, ₹ crore
FII DII +393 -383 7 Jul +1,963 +790 8 Jul -533 +2,058 9 Jul +2,604 +2,020 10 Jul -3,062 +2,172 13 Jul

Zerodha AfterMarket Report; NSE

Net direct tax collections separately rose to more than ₹6.51 lakh crore as of 13 July. This is covered in the macro view.

Thematic movers

The thematic index table in the Zerodha AfterMarket Report was embedded as an image and was not available in machine-readable form. The full thematic and sectoral index movements can be checked through the NSE, BSE or Tijori App.

Zerodha AfterMarket Report, 14 July 2026 close; Mint, 15 July 2026

The macro view

Inflation, monsoon, policy and government data.

Wholesale inflation reaches a record high under the new series

India’s Wholesale Price Index inflation rose to 9.87% in June from 9.68% in May. Zerodha described this as the highest reading under the new WPI series. WPI tracks prices at the wholesale level, so a high reading points to strong cost pressure for producers and businesses.

Food articles, mineral oils, basic metals and chemicals pushed wholesale prices higher. The Producer Price Index also rose, moving to 9.57% from 9.38%.

The detailed WPI data showed:

  • Inflation in primary articles rose to 7% from 4.99%.
  • Fuel and power inflation eased to 27.41% from 30.33%.
  • The WPI Food Index rose 6.14% year-on-year in June, compared with 4.49% in May.
  • Food articles inflation rose to 5.49% from 3.6%.
  • The government revised April’s final WPI inflation to 8.36% from the provisional estimate of 8.26%.
Exhibit 8
Fuel and power inflation eased but stayed highest at 27.41%, while primary-articles inflation jumped to 7%
WPI components, year-on-year change, June 2026, %
Fuel and power Primary articles WPI Food Index Food articles +27.41 +7.00 +6.14 +5.49 Fuel and power inflation dwarfed every other WPI component in June

Mint; commerce and industry ministry data

Mint; Zerodha AfterMarket Report; commerce and industry ministry data; Mint, “Food, fuel drive WPI inflation close to double digits in June,” Harsh Kumar

Retail inflation moves above the RBI’s target

Consumer Price Index inflation rose to 4.38% in June from 3.93% in May. CPI tracks prices paid by consumers. The June reading moved above the RBI’s 4% medium-term target for the first time since the new CPI series began in January 2025. Food inflation rose to 5.32% from 4.78%.

The RBI’s policy statement of 5 June had projected inflation of 5.1% for FY27. Bank of Baroda chief economist Madan Sabnavis said the June WPI reading was significant because inflation “has become more broad-based than before and extends the steady uptrend seen since November.” ICRA principal economist Rahul Agrawal expects wholesale inflation to “moderate slightly to around 9% in July.”

Monsoon deficit narrows, but agricultural risk remains

The cumulative rainfall shortfall between 1 June and 13 July narrowed to 19.3%. It had been 38% at the end of June. The improvement was broad, but regional deficits remained uneven.

Regional rainfall deficits remained uneven, with east and northeast India furthest behind at -35.5%
Rainfall deficit by region, 1 June to 13 July 2026
RegionRainfall deficit
East and northeast India-35.5%
South peninsula-21.5%
Northwest India-11.9%
Central India-8.5%

IMD data

Exhibit 9
East and northeast India ran furthest behind, with a -35.5% rainfall deficit
Rainfall deficit by region, 1 June to 13 July 2026, %
−35.5 East and northeast India −21.5 South peninsula −11.9 Northwest India −8.5 Central India The overall shortfall narrowed to 19.3% by 13 July

IMD data

Kharif crop sowing covered 53.12 million hectares as of 10 July, compared with 63.25 million hectares a year earlier. ICRA’s Aditi Nayar provided the sowing comparison. Farm leader Sudhir Panwar said crop planting and development “will largely depend on how the monsoon rains play out this month.”

Crisil chief economist D.K. Joshi said below-normal rainfall could hurt oilseeds, maize and pulses. Government buffer stocks of rice and wheat remain comfortable.

Mint, “Monsoon deficit shrinks, but dark clouds linger,” Vijay C. Roy

Net direct tax collections rise, but sources differ slightly on growth

Net direct tax collections rose to more than ₹6.51 lakh crore between 1 April and 13 July. Zerodha reports year-on-year growth of 16.4%. It also reports that net corporate tax collections rose 22% to ₹2.40 lakh crore, while net non-corporate collections rose nearly 12% to more than ₹3.84 lakh crore.

Mint reports growth of 16.1% using the same income-tax department data. Its more detailed figures were:

Gross direct tax collections rose to ₹7.74 trillion, with refunds up 14.57%
Direct-tax indicators, 1 April to 13 July 2026
IndicatorLatest figure
Gross direct tax collections₹7.74 trillion
Gross direct tax collections, previous year₹6.66 trillion
Refunds₹1.22 trillion
Growth in refunds14.57%
Gross corporate tax₹3.35 trillion
Gross non-corporate tax₹4.12 trillion
Net corporate tax after refunds₹2.40 trillion
Net non-corporate tax after refunds₹3.85 trillion

Zerodha AfterMarket Report; Mint, “Net direct tax collections surge over 16% in Apr-Jul,” Dhirendra Kumar

India-UK trade agreement takes effect

The India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement takes effect on Wednesday. The agreement is expected to raise bilateral trade to $100 billion by 2030.

Indian exporters will receive duty-free access for 99.5% of export value to the UK, covering 98.8% of tariff lines. India has offered preferential access covering 89.4% of UK export value. Bilateral trade was $25.12 billion in 2025-26. Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal called the 30-chapter agreement a “gold standard” deal.

Mint, “‘Ceta to lift India-UK trade to $100 bn by 2030’,” Harsh Kumar

India launches a monthly services output index

India introduced a trial Index of Services Production. The new monthly index measures activity in the services sector, which contributes more than half of GDP.

Fourteen of the 19 services sub-sectors recorded double-digit year-on-year growth in April 2026. The base year is 2024-25, and the index is built entirely from GST return data. Chief Economic Adviser V. Anantha Nageswaran said the index will help policymakers “distinguish between temporary fluctuations and genuine turning points.”

Mint, “Services output index debuts, April sees smart growth,” Subhash Narayan

Railways allows private firms to design freight wagons

Indian Railways announced eight reform measures. One of them allows private companies to design freight wagons for specific commodities. The measure is part of the government’s “52 reforms in 52 weeks” programme. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the aim is to increase rail’s share of India’s cargo movement, which is currently around 27%.

Mint, “Govt opens wagon design to private firms,” Subhash Narayan

Drug brand-name extensions face regulatory review

The Indian Drug Manufacturers Association is collecting product data after the Drugs Controller General of India warned against using one brand name for medicines with different active ingredients. The regulator said this practice creates a patient-safety risk.

Mint, “Drugmakers prepare response as DCGI flags brand name extension,” Priyanka Sharma

FCNR(B) dollar inflows may come mainly from outside the US

Bankers do not expect large US-led inflows into FCNR(B) deposits under the RBI’s latest incentive scheme. Non-resident Indians in the US remain cautious because of concerns about stricter tax scrutiny after the 2013 programme. Around 70-75% of the expected inflows may instead come from the Gulf and Singapore.

Mint, “India’s dollar dreams may find more non-US buyers,” Subhana Shaikh and Shayan Ghosh

Corporate action and earnings

Deals, results and the day ahead.

Domestic headlines

  • TCS and JFK Airport: TCS has become the strategic technology partner for New York JFK Airport’s New Terminal One. The partnership will help with the airport’s $19 billion transformation.
  • Jindal Saw: Consolidated net profit for Q1FY27 fell 75.5% year-on-year to ₹104 crore. Weak exports and problems in the water-pipe business hurt profit. Revenue still rose 9% to ₹4,452 crore.
  • Sprng Energy acquisition: Aditya Birla Renewables completed its $1.8 billion enterprise-value acquisition of Sprng Energy from Shell Plc. The deal makes it one of India’s largest renewable energy companies and highlights Grasim Industries’ role as the group’s capital-allocation and incubation vehicle.
  • Udaan: The company raised around $160 million through fresh equity, new debt and a debt-to-equity conversion. The fundraising took place while insolvency proceedings continue in Singapore against its offshore parent, Trustroot Internet.
  • Giva: TPG, Sofina and Multiples are in advanced talks to buy an $80-100 million stake in the jewellery company. The proposed valuation is around ₹6,000 crore.
  • Hero MotoCorp: The company reduced the carrying value of its Zero Motorcycles stake by 92%, from ₹241 crore to ₹19 crore in FY26. Its ownership was diluted from 6.9% to 0.8%, and it recognised a fair-value loss of ₹222 crore. In contrast, its 30% stake in Ather Energy is now worth more than ₹13,000 crore, compared with a total investment of around ₹1,700 crore.
  • HCLTech: Constant-currency revenue fell 3.1% quarter-on-quarter, and the company gave its weakest full-year growth guidance in four years. It announced a full-stack AI strategy that includes around ₹3,500 crore for a 50MW AI data centre. It also warned that AI could cause revenue deflation of 2-3% over the coming years. The shares fell more than 4%.
  • Bharti Airtel: The FY26 annual report said 5G monetisation “remains a challenge” four years after launch because strong commercial use cases are still limited. Airtel had 188 million 5G customers as of 31 March, compared with Jio’s 268 million.
  • Temasek and Lenskart: Temasek sold a 2% stake in Lenskart for around ₹1,940 crore through an open-market deal on 10 July. This was its second listed Indian equity sale worth more than $200 million during the month. Its holding fell to 4.75% from 6.8%.
  • Anand Rathi Wealth: The Q1FY27 Ebitda margin fell to 34% from 47% because of a one-time employee stock option charge. Profit after tax rose 74% year-on-year to ₹163 crore, helped by mark-to-market gains. Assets under management rose 21% to ₹1.06 trillion.
  • Jyothy Labs: The company plans to invest more in its Exo dishwashing brand after German partner Henkel ends a 15-year licensing agreement for Pril and Fa. FY26 profit fell 10% to ₹333 crore, while revenue rose 3.5%.
  • Online gaming companies: Play Games24x7, Junglee Games, Sachiko Gaming and Head Digital Works, which operates A23, have asked the Supreme Court to review its 27 May judgment. The judgment upheld the 28% GST levy and retrospective tax demands of more than ₹1.5 trillion.
  • Byju Raveendran: Singapore’s High Court rejected his attempt to overturn a six-month jail sentence for contempt. This effectively prevents him from returning to Singapore unless he serves the sentence.
  • Ikea: The company plans to invest more than ₹20,000 crore in India, twice its earlier commitment. It is also changing its product strategy because Indian consumers spend more on living-room and bedroom furniture than on kitchens.
  • Tier-II office markets: Average office rents in major metros have risen nearly 35% in four years. This is pushing companies toward Jaipur, Coimbatore, Kochi, Indore and Ahmedabad. Rental yields in these tier-II markets are around 6-8%, higher than in the metros.
  • Fixed deposits: The highest fixed-deposit rates for deposits up to ₹1 crore are currently around 7.5% for tenures of five years or more. Banks at the upper end include DCB Bank, Jammu & Kashmir Bank and YES Bank.

The dividend, sectoral-index and corporate-action calendar tables in the Zerodha report were embedded as images and are not reproduced here. The full calendar is available through the NSE, BSE or Tijori App.

Upcoming events

These are scheduled releases, not confirmed outcomes.

Economic calendar, 15-17 July
Scheduled data releases
DateScheduled release
15 JulyUnemployment Rate, Broad Money Supply (M3), Goods Imports and Exports, Goods Trade Balance, Bank of Canada policy rate, and inflation in Poland.
16 JulyBank of Korea policy rate and final inflation data for Italy.
17 JulyForeign-exchange reserves and final inflation data for the euro area.

Zerodha Economic Calendar

Companies scheduled to report on 15 July 2026 include Billionbrains Garage Ventures, which operates Groww, HDFC Life Insurance, HDFC Asset Management, ICICI Lombard General Insurance, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance, HDB Financial Services, Himadri Speciality Chemical, Angel One, Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals, Emmvee Photovoltaic Power, Raghav Productivity Enhancers, Fedbank Financial Services, Jana Small Finance Bank, Network18 Media & Investments, Steel Strips Wheels, Oriental Hotels, Onix Solar Energy, Sai Silks Kalamandir, Reliance Industrial Infrastructure and Lotus Chocolate Company. The report also lists 11 further companies without naming them.

Mint, Deals, Tech & Startups, Mark to Market, Corporate and Mint Money; Zerodha, 15 July 2026

Global pulse

International markets, trade and macro developments.

Strait of Hormuz tensions increase

President Trump withdrew the plan to charge a 20% fee on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. He said Gulf countries would instead make “MASSIVE” investments in the United States. The US also said it would again block Iranian ports.

The US military struck Iranian “coastal defence systems, missile and drone sites.” Iran responded with attacks on the tankers Mombasa and Al Bahiyah. Two mariners were killed and 14 were wounded. Iran also carried out attacks connected to Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwaiti-linked shipping.

Mint/AP, “Trump backs down on plan for Hormuz passage fees”

Oil markets price in a longer disruption

Brent crude rose as much as 13% during the week and moved above $86 per barrel. The “NACHO” trade, short for “Not A Chance Hormuz Opens,” returned on Wall Street. It reflects the view that disruption may continue in a route that carries around 20% of global oil-transit volumes.

The US Strategic Petroleum Reserve is at its lowest level since 1983. An S&P Global report cited by Zerodha said fewer than 25 vessels a day crossed the Strait from 10 to 12 July. Crossings fell to only 11 on 12 July.

Mint/Dow Jones, “Oil surges most since 2020”; S&P Global report cited by Zerodha

Iranian nationalism makes diplomacy harder

Hardline nationalist sentiment has strengthened in Iran, especially around the funeral of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed. Regional mediators and analysts said this has reduced the room available to negotiators trying to reopen the Strait under an interim US-brokered agreement.

Mint/Dow Jones, Benoit Faucon

US consumer prices fall in June

US consumer prices fell 0.4% month-on-month in June. This was the first monthly decline since May 2020. A 5.7% fall in energy prices was the main reason.

Zerodha, Top Stories Globally

IBM leads a technology selloff

IBM shares fell 23% in pre-market trading after earnings were weaker than expected. The fall spread to Oracle, ServiceNow, Accenture, Adobe and Cognizant. American depositary receipts of Infosys and Wipro fell nearly 9% and 3%, respectively.

Zerodha

Meta smartglasses face privacy criticism

Meta is testing a NameTag feature that can remember faces and a mode that continuously captures audio and video. The American Civil Liberties Union and more than 70 privacy and consumer groups have criticised the tests. Meta says neither feature has been released to consumers.

Mint/Dow Jones, Meghan Bobrowsky

SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son expects fusion to power AI

Masayoshi Son said nuclear fusion will become the “main source of a new kind of cheaper, clean and safe energy.” He expects AI data centres to need 3 terawatts of capacity by 2040. Natural gas is expected to bridge the gap in the near term.

Mint; Bloomberg

AI industry developments

DeepSeek founder Liang Wenfeng is now the world’s richest creator of an AI model, with a net worth of $36 billion. His valuation has more than doubled and is now above that of Anthropic’s Dario Amodei and OpenAI’s Greg Brockman.

Anthropic introduced rupee pricing for Claude in India. Claude Pro costs ₹2,000 a month, while Claude Max starts at ₹11,999 a month. Nasscom warned that India could develop an “AI-reliant rather than truly AI-native” technology workforce if deep engineering skills weaken.

Mint; PTI; Bloomberg

Management chatter

Verbatim quotes from named speakers, reproduced exactly as carried by the source publications.

“If we get policy right, and we will, the inflation surge of the last five years will be a thing of the past. While monthly price fluctuations are inevitable, especially in an unsettled world, underlying inflation over longer time horizons is determined largely by monetary policy… We don’t know the extent to which the economy will benefit from the AI buildout.”
Kevin Warsh, Chair, US Federal Reserve
“We will go from a human-centric world to an agent-centric world. The age when humans are the highest life form on earth will end. For better or for worse, it will happen and it can’t be stopped.”
Masayoshi Son, CEO, SoftBank Group
“India is today predominantly a services economy, even as we continue working towards a more balanced economic structure with a stronger manufacturing base. From today onwards, we will, for the first time, be able to observe the country’s largest sector on a monthly basis.”
V. Anantha Nageswaran, Chief Economic Adviser, Government of India

Zerodha; Mint

Feature: Inside the ₹9,813-crore SBI Funds Management IPO

A detailed look at India’s largest asset-management-company listing. This feature uses SBI Funds Management Limited’s Red Herring Prospectus and price-band notice published in Mint on 15 July 2026. It also uses reports from Business Standard, BusinessToday, Outlook Money, Groww, Kotak Securities through Kotak Neo, Anand Rathi, Equentis and IPOCentral.in, accessed on 14-15 July 2026. Figures are attributed to their sources. Where sources differ, both figures are shown without trying to reconcile them.

₹9,812.91 cr
Offer size, reduced from ₹11,692.91 crore
The issue is entirely an Offer for Sale of up to 17,09,56,631 equity shares with a face value of ₹1 each. The company itself will not receive any of the money raised.
₹545-₹574
Price band per share
At the upper price of ₹574, SBIFM would have a market capitalisation of around ₹1.17 lakh crore. The P/E on diluted FY26 EPS is 36.24x at ₹545 and 38.16x at ₹574.
15.3%
Mutual-fund market share, as of 31 March 2026
SBIFM has held the leading position since March 2021 and serves more than 16 million investors. It reported quarterly average AUM of approximately ₹29.04 lakh crore as of 31 December 2025.

What is being sold

SBI Funds Management Limited, or SBIFM, is the investment manager for SBI Mutual Fund. It is a joint venture between State Bank of India and Amundi India Holding. The IPO opened on Tuesday, 14 July and closes on Thursday, 16 July. Financial-markets platform finsightsbysquareleague.com described it as “the largest [IPO] of 2026.”

The issue is entirely an Offer for Sale of up to 17,09,56,631 equity shares with a face value of ₹1 each. An OFS means existing shareholders are selling shares. The company itself will not receive any of the money raised. The shares are expected to list on the BSE and NSE on 21 July.

The offer size was reduced to approximately ₹9,812.91 crore from the earlier expected amount of ₹11,692.91 crore. Before the IPO, SBI sold 2.88 crore shares and Amundi India Holding sold 39.19 lakh shares on 9 July. These pre-IPO placements raised around ₹1,880 crore. The investors included WhiteOak Capital, 3P India Equity Fund, Bennett Coleman, Tata AIG General Insurance and Dymon Asia.

SBI Funds Management price-band notice published in Mint, 15 July 2026; Groww; BusinessToday; Mint, Mayur Bhalerao, “All eyes on signals from SBI Funds IPO”

Offer terms

Offer terms: a ₹545-₹574 price band with a 26-share lot
SBI Funds Management IPO offer terms
ItemDetail
Price band₹545-₹574 per share
Face value₹1 per share
Price as a multiple of face value545x at the floor and 574x at the cap
Lot size26 shares
Minimum retail investment at upper band₹14,924
P/E on diluted FY26 EPS36.24x at ₹545; 38.16x at ₹574
Three-year weighted average return on net worth38.77%

SBI Funds Management price-band notice, Mint, 15 July 2026; Outlook Money; IPOCentral.in

Outlook Money reported a P/E of 38.12x at the upper end, slightly different from the 38.16x shown in the RHP-based notice.

Allocation

The allocation rules are:

  • No more than 50% of the net offer for qualified institutional buyers.
  • At least 15% for non-institutional investors.
  • At least 35% for retail investors.
  • Up to 2,70,271 shares reserved for SBIFM employees.
  • Up to 29,87,076 shares reserved for SBI employees, with a discount of ₹54 per share.
  • Up to 1,30,55,629 shares reserved for eligible SBI shareholders.

SBI Funds Management price-band notice, Mint, 15 July 2026; Outlook Money

Valuation and financial performance

At the upper price of ₹574, SBIFM would have a market capitalisation of around ₹1.17 lakh crore. The company’s price-band notice gives a post-offer market value of ₹1,169,139.05 lakh at the cap price, which is consistent with Outlook Money’s reporting.

FY26 total income rose to ₹4,976.11 crore and profit after tax to ₹3,067.38 crore
SBIFM financials, year ended 31 March
IndicatorFY26FY25
Total income₹4,976.11 crore₹4,236.15 crore
Profit after tax₹3,067.38 crore₹2,540.15 crore
Return on equity43.02%33.77%
Ebitda margin92.46%94.86%

Outlook Money, “SBI Funds Management IPO GMP: Check Day 1 Subscription Status,” 14 July 2026; Kotak Securities, Kotak Neo

Exhibit 10
SBIFM total income and profit after tax both rose about 20% in FY26
SBIFM total income and profit after tax, FY25 and FY26, ₹ crore
FY25 FY26 4,236 4,976 Total income 2,540 3,067 Profit after tax

Outlook Money; Kotak Neo

Profit after tax rose by around 21% in FY26.

Comparison with listed peers

Brokerage commentary reported by Business Standard places SBIFM’s P/E below ICICI Prudential AMC at around 49x and Nippon Life India AMC at around 51x. It is roughly in line with HDFC AMC.

SBIFM’s return on net worth is around 43%. Among the peers listed in the report, this is below ICICI Prudential AMC at 86%, but above HDFC AMC at 33%, Nippon Life India AMC at 35%, Aditya Birla Sun Life AMC at 26% and UTI AMC at 11%.

Exhibit 11
SBIFM’s return on net worth of around 43% trails ICICI Prudential but leads other listed peers
Return on net worth, %
ICICI Prudential AMC SBIFM Nippon Life India AMC HDFC AMC Aditya Birla Sun Life AMC UTI AMC 86 43 35 33 26 11 SBIFM's return on net worth trails ICICI Prudential AMC but leads most peers

Business Standard

Business Standard, “Valuation verdict: How does SBI Funds Management IPO fare against peers?”; analyst commentary attributed to Nuvama and SBI Securities

Why the largest AMC may trade at a lower valuation than some peers

SBIFM manages more assets than any rival, but its revenue yield is around 35 basis points of assets under management. The comparable yield is about 52 basis points at ICICI Prudential AMC and 44 basis points at HDFC AMC.

Exhibit 12
SBIFM’s revenue yield of around 35 basis points is below ICICI Prudential and HDFC AMC
Revenue yield, basis points of assets under management
ICICI Prudential AMC HDFC AMC SBIFM 52 44 35

BusinessToday; IPOCentral.in

The difference is mainly linked to asset mix. Around 32.4% of SBIFM’s mutual-fund assets are in lower-fee passive products such as exchange-traded funds and index funds. The corresponding share is around 13-17% at ICICI Prudential AMC and below 10% at HDFC AMC. BusinessToday and IPOCentral.in give slightly different estimates, but both show the same broad gap.

Exhibit 13
Passive products make up around 32.4% of SBIFM’s mutual-fund assets, well above peers
Passive share of mutual-fund assets, %
SBIFM ICICI Prudential AMC HDFC AMC 32.4 13-17 <10

BusinessToday; IPOCentral.in

Passive funds normally charge lower expense ratios than actively managed equity schemes. A larger passive share can therefore reduce revenue earned on each rupee of assets.

BusinessToday, “India’s largest AMC is coming to market. But why is SBI Funds IPO cheaper than its listed peers?”; IPOCentral.in

Scale and distribution

SBIFM reported quarterly average assets under management of approximately ₹29.04 lakh crore as of 31 December 2025. This total includes mutual funds, portfolio management services, alternative investment funds and advisory mandates.

Its mutual-fund market share was 15.3% as of 31 March 2026. It has held the leading position since March 2021 and serves more than 16 million investors. The company also has India’s largest portfolio management services business, with a market share of around 39-40%. Its Specialised Investment Fund platform has an estimated market share of 61%. It also accounts for around 16% of India’s active systematic investment plan accounts by number.

Individual investors account for around 47.9% of SBIFM’s average assets under management. This is below HDFC AMC at 68.2%, Nippon Life India AMC at 61.2% and ICICI Prudential AMC at 59.1%.

Exhibit 14
Individual investors account for around 47.9% of SBIFM’s AUM, below its listed peers
Individual-investor share of average AUM, %
HDFC AMC Nippon Life India AMC ICICI Prudential AMC SBIFM 68.2 61.2 59.1 47.9 SBIFM leans more on institutional money than its largest listed peers

IPOCentral.in; RHP disclosures

The remaining assets include institutional and provident-fund mandates, including EPFO money. These mandates usually carry lower fees than retail assets. SBI Bank has around 35 crore customers who have completed KYC, but only around 55 lakh currently invest through SBI Funds. BusinessToday describes this difference as a possible long-term cross-selling opportunity.

Groww; Kotak Neo; IPOCentral.in; BusinessToday; company RHP and CRISIL data cited by those sources

Investor interest so far

The IPO remains open until 16 July. The figures below are intraday snapshots from the first day, 14 July. They are not final subscription figures, and the different reports have not been reconciled.

Overall subscription climbed from 0.06x to 0.62x-0.69x through Day 1
Intraday subscription snapshots, 14 July 2026
Time and category, 14 JulySubscriptionSource
10:14am, overall0.06xChittorgarh
12:09pm, overall0.29xOutlook Money
1:00pm, overall0.38xSahi.com
1:31pm, overall0.40xUpstox and Groww
Later on Day 1, overall0.62x-0.69xGroww and Kotak Neo
Exhibit 15
Day 1 subscription climbed from 0.06x at 10:14am to 0.69x later in the session
Overall IPO subscription, intraday snapshots, 14 July 2026
0.06x 0.29x 0.38x 0.40x 0.62-0.69x 10:14am 12:09pm 1:00pm 1:31pm Later Day 1

Chittorgarh; Outlook Money; Sahi.com; Upstox; Groww; Kotak Neo

At 12:09pm, Outlook Money reported subscriptions of 0.35x in the retail category and 0.44x for non-institutional investors overall. Within the non-institutional category, small NIIs were at 0.57x and big NIIs were at 0.37x. The employee reservation was subscribed 0.63x and the shareholder quota 0.38x. The qualified institutional buyer book, excluding anchors, had not received meaningful bids at that time.

Anchor investors

SBIFM raised ₹2,662.96 crore from more than 100 anchor investors. It allotted 4,63,93,095 shares at ₹574 each. Anchor investors included HDFC Mutual Fund, ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund, Nippon India Mutual Fund, LIC, HDFC Life Insurance, GIC, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Capital World Investors, BlackRock, Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Fidelity Management & Research and Norges Bank.

Upstox; BusinessToday

Grey market premium

The grey market premium is unofficial and unregulated. Figures differ by date and source:

  • ClearTax reported a GMP of ₹97 on 13 July, equal to 17.25% above the upper price of ₹574.
  • DSIJ and Sahi.com reported a GMP of ₹93 on 14 July, equal to around 16.2%.
  • BusinessToday reported a “last heard” range of ₹95-₹100, implying a premium of 17-18%.

The GMP is not approved or supervised by SEBI and is not a reliable predictor of the listing price or later performance.

ClearTax; DSIJ; Sahi.com; BusinessToday

Brokerage views

Anand Rathi Share & Stock Brokers: Subscribe for the long term.

“It operates an asset-light, fee-based business model through the management of mutual funds, portfolio management services (PMS), alternative investment funds (AIFs), Specialized Investment Funds (SIFs) and advisory mandates… We believe that the IPO is fully priced and recommend a ‘subscribe’ rating”
Anand Rathi, quoted in BusinessToday

Kantilal Chhaganlal Securities: Subscribe.

“Considering AMC size, strong parentage, positive industry outlook, the MF industry in India is expected to grow at a CAGR of 16-17 per cent coupled with industry-wide SIP AUM growth at a CAGR of 23-26 per cent between the forecast period of FY26-29, SBI Funds valued at 38 times FY26 PE which is fairly valued compare to peers”
Kantilal Chhaganlal Securities, quoted in BusinessToday

Systematix Institutional Equities: Subscribe.

“It has emerged as a key beneficiary of the ongoing shift in household savings towards financial assets, aided by its deep penetration across the metro as well as B-30 markets, extensive customer reach and strong brand franchise. With robust growth prospects, we recommend…” [subscribe]
Systematix Institutional Equities, quoted in BusinessToday

Risks highlighted in the offer documents and external analysis

SBIFM says it is “subject to extensive and evolving investment requirements.” It also warns that regulatory or reputational damage “could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.”

The offer notice also highlights the risk of schemes underperforming. As of 31 March 2026, 8.59% of the company’s equity and equity-oriented schemes were in the bottom quartile on an AUM-weighted basis. This had risen from 5.74% a year earlier. The broader industry is also moving toward lower-fee passive products. This can put pressure on margins as more assets move to index funds and ETFs.

SBIFM depends heavily on SBI’s distribution system. This includes more than 23,000 branches, the YONO platform, mutual fund distributors and 9,964 national distributors. These channels bring in a majority of the company’s assets. Any disruption to this relationship is a risk.

An external analysis by finsightsbysquareleague.com highlights the new Base Expense Ratio framework under SEBI’s Mutual Funds Regulations, 2026, which took effect on 1 April. The framework lowers expense-ratio limits and removes a previously allowed exit-load buffer. This creates a fee-related risk for the whole industry.

Management fees made up 96.47% of SBIFM’s FY26 revenue. If fee pressure continues, margins could fall. The same analysis says SBIFM has a 27.9% share of the ETF and index-fund segment. This makes it the passive-fund market leader, but it also means a growing part of its own assets is moving toward its lowest-margin business.

Because the IPO is a pure Offer for Sale, SBIFM will not receive any proceeds. Promoter ownership is expected to fall from 98.02% to around 89.79% after listing. The external analysis also identifies the supply of shares after listing as a factor to consider.

SBI Funds Management price-band notice published in Mint, 15 July 2026; finsightsbysquareleague.com; Outlook Money

Key dates

The offer opened on 14 July, with listing tentatively on 21 July
SBI Funds Management IPO timetable, tentative
MilestoneDate
Offer openedTuesday, 14 July 2026
Offer closesThursday, 16 July 2026
Basis of allotment, tentativeFriday, 17 July 2026
Refunds initiated and shares creditedMonday, 20 July 2026
Listing on BSE and NSE, tentativeTuesday, 21 July 2026

SBI Funds Management price-band notice, Mint, 15 July 2026; Groww; Kotak Neo; Anand Rathi

The dates are tentative and may be revised by the company or registrar.

This feature is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Readers should refer to the full Red Herring Prospectus filed with SEBI and consult a SEBI-registered investment adviser before making any investment decision.

Zerodha AfterMarket Report, 14 July 2026 close; Mint, 15 July 2026; SBI Funds Management Limited price-band notice; Business Standard; BusinessToday; Outlook Money; Groww; Kotak Neo; Anand Rathi; Equentis; IPOCentral.in; finsightsbysquareleague.com

About the author Devraj Pant

Devraj works as a Wealth Manager at Dhanashree Wealth Pvt. Ltd. He is a CFA Level II candidate.

Compiled from Mint (15 July 2026), the Zerodha AfterMarket Report (14 July 2026 close), the SBI Funds Management price-band notice, Business Standard, BusinessToday, Outlook Money, Groww, Kotak Neo, Anand Rathi, IPOCentral.in, Bloomberg, PTI, AP and Dow Jones via Mint. For information only, not a recommendation to buy or sell any security.

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