DayStarter

Indian benchmarks edge higher as late selling trims gains, while Meta backs Cred at $4.5 billion and names Kunal Shah global head of WhatsApp

DayStarter, Vol. I, No. 30, by Devraj Pant. Indian equities closed higher on Monday, but the gains were smaller than what the market had shown earlier in the day. The Nifty 50 closed at 24,102.90, up 0.37%, the Sensex closed at 77,094.07, core sector growth slowed to a seven-month low of 0.5%, CPI rose to 3.9%, and Meta named Kunal Shah global head of WhatsApp as part of a $900 million investment in Cred.

Market snapshot

24,102.90
Nifty 50 close
The Nifty 50 closed at 24,102.90, up 89.80 points, or 0.37%. Indian equities closed higher on Monday, but the gains were smaller than what the market had shown earlier in the day.
0.5%
Core sector growth, May
Core sector growth slowed to 0.5% in May from 1.8% in April. This was the lowest reading in seven months.
$4.5 billion
Cred post-money valuation
Meta named fintech entrepreneur Kunal Shah as global head of WhatsApp as part of a $900 million investment in his startup Cred. The investment values Cred at $4.5 billion post-money.

Equities: Monday close

Indian equities closed higher on Monday, but the gains were smaller than what the market had shown earlier in the day.

The Nifty 50 closed at 24,102.90, up 89.80 points, or 0.37%. The Sensex closed at 77,094.07, up 291.17 points, or 0.38%. Bank Nifty closed at 57,935.60, up 249.85 points, or 0.43%.

The Nifty opened with a 94-point gap up at 24,107. Stable global cues and softer oil helped sentiment at the start of the day. The index moved toward the 24,150 to 24,160 range by around 11 AM. In the final 30 minutes, selling pressure erased the intraday gains, and the Nifty closed close to its opening gap-up level.

Broader markets did better than the main indices. The Nifty Next 50 rose 0.99%, the Smallcap 250 rose 0.77%, and the Midcap 150 rose 0.44%. Market breadth was positive. In the Nifty 500, 326 stocks advanced and 175 declined, giving an advance-decline ratio of 1.86. India VIX fell 1.00% to 12.84, showing a small fall in expected market volatility.

Exhibit 1
Broader markets outperformed the main indices as India VIX eased
Index moves, %, 22 June 2026 close
0% +0.99 Nifty Next 50 +0.77 Smallcap 250 +0.44 Midcap 150 +0.43 Bank Nifty +0.38 Sensex +0.37 Nifty 50 India VIX −1.00 6 of 6 benchmark indices closed green

Zerodha AfterMarket Report, 22 June 2026 close.

Sectors: Most sectors closed higher

Most sectoral indices closed in the green. Media was the strongest sector, rising 1.42%. Pharma rose 1.24%. IT also recovered, rising 0.74% after the previous session’s weakness.

Consumption and FMCG were the only sectors in the table that closed lower. Consumption fell 0.12%, and FMCG fell 0.41%.

Exhibit 2
Media and Pharma led the sectors while FMCG fell hardest
Sector index moves, %, 22 June 2026 close
0% +1.42 Media +1.24 Pharma +0.74 IT +0.56 Energy +0.54 Metal +0.54 PSU Bank +0.45 Auto +0.43 Bank +0.40 Realty Consumption −0.12 FMCG −0.41 9 of 11 sectors closed green

Zerodha AfterMarket Report, 22 June 2026 close.

F&O movers

MANKIND, DELHIVERY, CIPLA, ABCAPITAL, and RECLTD were the top F&O gainers. SAIL, VBL, INDUSINDBK, ASIANPAINT, and WAAREEENER were the top F&O losers.

Exhibit 3
MANKIND led the F&O gainers as SAIL fell hardest
F&O top movers, %, 22 June 2026 close
0% +5.34 MANKIND +5.10 DELHIVERY +4.82 CIPLA +4.36 ABCAPITAL +4.02 RECLTD WAAREEENER −2.09 ASIANPAINT −2.20 INDUSINDBK −3.02 VBL −3.31 SAIL −3.39 Top 5 gainers and bottom 5 losers, F&O universe

Zerodha AfterMarket Report, 22 June 2026 close.

Commodities: Precious metals rose, crude fell

On MCX, gold and silver moved higher. Gold rose 1.31% to ₹1,49,131 per 10 grams, and silver rose 2.08% to ₹2,38,038 per kg.

Crude oil fell 1.34% to ₹7,165 per barrel. Natural gas rose 4.17% to 314.7.

Base metals were positive. Copper, zinc, lead, aluminium, and nickel all closed higher.

Gold and silver rose on MCX, while crude oil fell
Commodity, MCX, 22 June 2026 close
CommodityLTPDay %
Gold, ₹ per 10g1,49,131+1.31
Silver, ₹ per kg2,38,038+2.08
Crude, ₹ per barrel7,165−1.34
Natural gas314.7+4.17
Copper, ₹ per kg1,319.5+0.76
Zinc, ₹ per kg370.1+0.98
Lead, ₹ per kg204+0.10
Aluminium359+0.32
Nickel, ₹ per kg1,707.8+0.64

Zerodha AfterMarket Report, 22 June 2026 close

Currency and bond yields

USD/INR Futures closed at 94.6500 and were up 0.29% week to date. The spot rupee fell 30 paise to 94.63.

Indian bond yields were largely stable. The 2-year yield rose 2 bps to 6.075%, while the 5-year and 10-year yields were flat at 6.500% and 6.856%. A basis point, or bp, is one-hundredth of a percentage point.

US yields from the prior session moved lower. The US 2-year yield fell 1 bp to 4.190%, and the US 10-year yield fell 3 bps to 4.460%.

Indian yields were largely stable while US yields eased in the prior session
Currency and yield readings, 22 June 2026 close
IndicatorLevelChange
USD/INR Futures94.6500+0.29% WTD
Spot rupee94.63−30 paise
India 2Y yield6.075%+2 bps
India 5Y yield6.500%Flat
India 10Y yield6.856%Flat
US 2Y yield4.190%−1 bp
US 10Y yield4.460%−3 bps

Zerodha AfterMarket Report; Mint, 23 June 2026

Institutional flows

FIIs were net buyers of ₹4,859 crore. DIIs were net sellers of ₹1,160 crore. The combined institutional flow was positive at ₹3,699 crore.

FII buying was ₹31,443 crore, while FII selling was ₹26,584 crore. DII buying was ₹18,020 crore, while DII selling was ₹19,180 crore.

The combined flow figure was dated 19 June in the report’s 5-day table.

Exhibit 4
FII buying outweighed DII selling for ₹3,699 crore of net inflows
Net institutional flows, ₹ crore, 22 June 2026 close
0 ₹+4,859 FII ₹−1,160 DII ₹+3,699 Combined

Zerodha AfterMarket Report, 22 June 2026 close.

Macro

Growth: Core sector growth slows to a seven-month low

Core sector growth slowed to 0.5% in May from 1.8% in April. This was the lowest reading in seven months.

Weakness in energy-related sectors weighed on the number. Steel, cement, and electricity were stronger, but they were not enough to offset the weakness elsewhere.

The core sector tracks key infrastructure industries. A slower reading can point to weaker momentum in parts of the industrial economy.

Exhibit 6
Core sector growth slowed to a seven-month low of 0.5% in May
Core sector growth, %, year on year
0% 1.8% April 0.5% May Seven-month low

Mint; RBI, 23 June 2026.

Inflation: CPI rises to 3.9%

Consumer price inflation rose to 3.9% in May from 3.5% in April. The rise was driven by food, fuel, and core components.

CPI tracks prices paid by consumers. A rise in CPI means household prices are increasing faster than before.

Exhibit 7
CPI inflation rose to 3.9% in May from 3.5% in April
Consumer price inflation, %, year on year
0% 3.5% April 3.9% May

Mint; RBI June bulletin, 23 June 2026.

West Asia risk: RBI warns of inflation and growth pressure

The RBI cautioned that a breakdown of the recent West Asia peace agreement could bring back inflationary expectations.

The RBI also warned that such a breakdown could disrupt critical energy infrastructure, delay investment, raise food-security concerns, worsen financial stability, and lower growth.

This matters because West Asia is important for energy supply. A serious disruption can affect crude prices, transport costs, inflation, and business confidence.

Mint; RBI, 23 June 2026

NRI deposits: RBI liberalises FCNR(B)

The RBI has liberalised FCNR(B) deposits.

For US dollar FCNR(B) deposits up to three years, NRIs can now earn up to 6.13%. This is based on SOFR of around 3.63% plus a maximum margin of 2.5 percentage points. For deposits beyond three years, the cap has been lifted, and banks are offering around 7%.

The UAE and the US made up about 75% of FCNR(B) deposits in December 2025. Total NRI deposits were around $165 billion as of March. FCNR(B) deposits made up $33 billion of this amount.

FCNR(B) deposits are foreign-currency deposits held by non-resident Indians with Indian banks. Since they are held in foreign currency, they are different from normal rupee deposits.

Mint, 23 June 2026

Monsoon: Rainfall is delayed and below normal

The south-west monsoon is nearly two weeks delayed in Mumbai. The IMD expects the season to be around 90% of the long period average.

From 1 June to 17 June, the country received 46.2 mm of rainfall. This was 38% below normal. Central India was 62% below normal. Nearly 450 of 741 districts saw deficient or no rainfall.

Weak rainfall can affect rural demand and farm income. Icra estimated that two-wheeler volumes may rise only 3-5% in FY27, down from 9% in FY26.

Mint; IMD, 23 June 2026

Energy: Russian crude imports near record

Indian imports of Russian crude have averaged 2.6 million barrels per day so far in June.

The monthly average is expected to be above 2.35 million barrels per day. This would cross the previous high of 2.2 million barrels per day recorded in May 2023.

Exhibit 8
June’s Russian crude imports ran above the previous May 2023 high
India’s Russian crude imports, million barrels per day
0 2.2 May 2023 high 2.35 June expected monthly avg 2.6 June so far near-record high

Mint; Kpler, 23 June 2026.

Policy in brief

Several policy updates were reported.

  • The government introduced an updated WPI and a new producer price index, or PPI, for output, input, and services. This follows new GDP, CPI, and IIP series.
  • The Department of Telecommunications’ 17 June draft keeps backhaul spectrum charges unchanged, even though Trai had proposed a cut of up to 55%.
  • SEBI reduced the face value of privately placed municipal bonds to ₹10,000 from ₹1 lakh.

WPI tracks wholesale prices. PPI tracks prices received by producers and can be built for output, input, and services. These indicators help measure price changes at different points in the economy.

Mint, 23 June 2026

Corporate action and earnings

Meta and Cred

Meta named fintech entrepreneur Kunal Shah as global head of WhatsApp as part of a $900 million investment in his startup Cred.

The investment values Cred at $4.5 billion post-money, or about ₹43,239 crore, for roughly a 20% stake. Shah will step down as Cred CEO. Miten Sampat will take over as interim CEO.

In FY25, Cred reported operating revenue of ₹2,735 crore, up 16% year on year. Its operating losses narrowed 51% to ₹298 crore.

Mint, 23 June 2026

Indian IT

At least four analysts expect slower full-year growth for the Big Five Indian IT companies after Accenture cut the upper end of its guidance to 4% from 5%.

Accenture cited AI-led automation and West Asia tensions. Its new orders were $19.3 billion, the lowest in six quarters.

FY26 revenue numbers for major Indian IT companies were:

Infosys led FY26 revenue while Wipro’s constant-currency growth turned negative
FY26 revenue for major Indian IT companies
CompanyFY26 revenueConstant currency growth
Infosys$20.16 billion+3.1%
HCLTech$14.66 billion+4.0%
Wipro$10.48 billion−0.3%

Mint; Zerodha AfterMarket Report, 23 June 2026

JSW Infrastructure

JSW Infrastructure launched a QIP plus promoter offer for sale to raise up to ₹7,503 crore, or around $794 million.

The indicative price was ₹285 per share. This was a 7.2% discount to the NSE close of ₹307.05.

The QIP fresh issue is 230 million shares, worth ₹6,555 crore. The offer for sale by Sajjan Jindal Family Trust is up to 33.25 million shares, worth ₹948 crore.

A QIP allows a listed company to raise capital from qualified institutional buyers. An offer for sale allows existing shareholders to sell shares.

Mint; Zerodha AfterMarket Report, 23 June 2026

Tata Electronics

Tata Electronics detected a cybersecurity incident.

Ransomware group World Leaks posted more than 200,000 files on the dark web. These included purported component design and specification papers of Apple and Tesla.

Mint, 23 June 2026

US FDA and Indian pharma

The US FDA, through the IDMA, appealed to Indian manufacturers to identify suppliers of ifosfamide. Ifosfamide is used in the treatment of testicular, bladder, and lung cancers. The appeal came amid a US shortage.

India’s oncology drug market is valued at $947.84 million. India exported anti-cancer drugs worth ₹4,356.48 crore to the US in FY26. This was 38% of India’s total anti-cancer exports of ₹11,430 crore.

Mint, 23 June 2026

Defence and other top corporate stories

BDL and BEL gained after reports that India is in talks with the UAE for possible defence exports, including the BrahMos missile and the Akashteer platform.

Other corporate updates included:

  • Voltas crossed 1 million AC sales in FY27 in the first three months.
  • Power Mech Projects won a ₹1,008.9 crore order from JSW Thermal Energy for a 2x800 MW project at Salboni.
  • Tata Motors announced orders for more than 3,400 electric commercial vehicles.
  • GRSE was granted Navratna status.

Zerodha AfterMarket Report, 23 June 2026

Briefs and events

Fundraising briefs

Zypp Electric is seeking to raise as much as $200 million through an IPO. The company has appointed Axis Capital, SBI Capital Markets, and DAM Capital. It is targeting a possible FY28 listing. Zypp Electric was last valued at about $331 million as of March 2025.

Interface Auto is in the early stages of exploring a majority stake sale. The deal could value the company at up to $300 million, or ₹2,830 crore. EY is advising on the process.

Mint, 23 June 2026

Corporate actions: Ex-date 23 June

The following corporate actions had an ex-date of 23 June:

Dividends dominated the 23 June ex-date list
Corporate actions, ex-date 23 June 2026
SecurityCorporate action
HINDUNILVRDividend: ₹22
ASIANPAINTDividend: ₹23
THYROCAREDividend: ₹7
DALBHARATDividend: ₹5
ARSSBLDividend: ₹5
INDHOTELDividend: ₹3.25
GNADividend: ₹3
TATAPOWERDividend: ₹2.50

Zerodha AfterMarket Report, 23 June 2026

Economic calendar

Policy rate and inflation prints land on 24 and 25 June
Economic calendar, 24 to 25 June 2026; figures show the previous reading
DateEvent
Wednesday, 24 JuneThailand policy rate, previous 1%
Wednesday, 24 JuneAustralia inflation, previous 4.18% YoY
Thursday, 25 JuneMexico policy rate, previous 6.5%

Mint; Zerodha, 23 June 2026

Global pulse

Global indices

US indices rose in the prior session. The S&P 500 rose 1.08%, the Nasdaq rose 1.91%, and the Dow Jones rose 0.14%.

European markets were mixed. The FTSE 100 rose 0.01%, while the DAX fell 0.23% and the CAC 40 fell 0.75%.

Asian markets were also mixed. The Nikkei 225 rose 1.55%, KOSPI rose 0.69%, and SGX STI rose 0.22%. Hang Seng fell 0.65%.

Exhibit 9
US indices led global gains while the CAC 40 lagged
Index moves, %, prior session
0% +1.91 Nasdaq +1.55 Nikkei 225 +1.08 S&P 500 +0.69 KOSPI +0.22 SGX STI +0.14 Dow Jones +0.01 FTSE 100 DAX −0.23 Hang Seng −0.65 CAC 40 −0.75 7 of 10 global indices closed higher

Mint Global; Zerodha, 23 June 2026.

Oil and US-Iran talks

Brent crude fell below $80 per barrel as investors welcomed progress in US-Iran talks.

Qatar and Pakistan, acting as mediators, said both sides agreed on a roadmap toward a final agreement within 60 days. Vice President JD Vance said the Switzerland talks created a “good foundation for a successful final deal.”

The US Treasury issued a 60-day license waiving sanctions on Iranian oil through 21 August. The interim deal was signed on 17 June.

Mint Global; Zerodha, 23 June 2026

UK, chips, and China

The pound fell to around $1.32 after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would resign. Andy Burnham is seen as the likely successor. Nominations open on 9 July, and the contest is expected to be completed by 1 September.

SK Hynix overtook Samsung as South Korea’s most valuable listed company. The move was driven by demand for HBM chips. SK Hynix stock is up 340% this year.

The Nikkei 225 closed at a record 72,353.96, up 1.55%.

China unveiled a foreign-investment package. Its 10-year yield fell to around 1.73% after the People’s Bank of China held loan prime rates unchanged for the 13th month.

Mint Global; Zerodha, 23 June 2026

Qatar blast and Alan Greenspan

Twelve Indians were among 13 people killed in an explosion at a Barzan gas supply facility in Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar. The explosion was caused by a technical malfunction. Another 66 people were injured.

Alan Greenspan, who served as US Federal Reserve chairman from 1987 to 2006, died at age 100 due to complications of Parkinson’s disease.

Mint Global; Bloomberg; NBC News, 23 June 2026

Management chatter

Mukesh Ambani on the Jio Platforms listing

“The board of Jio Platforms has approved the draft red herring prospectus earlier today and it will be filed with SEBI today… The proposed listing of Jio will demonstrate to the world that India can build technology companies of global scale, global capability, and global value.”
Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and MD, Reliance Industries

Zerodha AfterMarket Report

Mukesh Ambani on the EBITDA outlook

“We doubled our EBITDA in the last five years. And as I look to the future, I am absolutely confident in our ability to double, indeed more than double, our consolidated EBITDA over the next five years.”
Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and MD, Reliance Industries

Zerodha AfterMarket Report

Akash Ambani on sovereign AI

“Reliance Intelligence is building India’s sovereign AI backbone in Jamnagar… The first 120 megawatts will be commissioned by the end of 2026.”
Akash Ambani, Managing Director, Jio Platforms

Zerodha AfterMarket Report

The day at a glance

Benchmarks edged higher as late selling trimmed gains and core sector growth hit a seven-month low
Key metrics of the day
IndicatorReading
Nifty 5024,102.90, up 0.37%
BSE Sensex77,094.07, up 0.38%
Bank Nifty57,935.60, up 0.43%
India VIX12.84, down 1.00%
Media (top sector)up 1.42%
FMCG (weakest)down 0.41%
Gold, MCX₹1,49,131, up 1.31%
Crude oil, MCX₹7,165, down 1.34%
FII net+₹4,859 crore
DII net−₹1,160 crore
Combined net+₹3,699 crore
Core sector growth, May0.5%, a seven-month low
CPI, May3.9%, up from 3.5% in April
Cred valuation$4.5 billion post-money
Brent crudeBelow $80 per barrel

Zerodha AfterMarket Report, 22 June 2026 close; Mint, 23 June 2026

Closing thought

“The first rule of compounding: never interrupt it unnecessarily.”
Charlie Munger

Compiled from: Zerodha AfterMarket Report, 22 June 2026 close; Mint, Mumbai edition, 23 June 2026; and The Economist. DayStarter by Devraj is a news aggregation for finance students and professionals. This is not investment advice. Markets data reflects Monday, 22 June 2026 close. Market data sourced via NSE, BSE and MCX.

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 the Zerodha AfterMarket Report (22 June 2026 close), Mint, Mumbai edition (23 June 2026), and The Economist. Market data reflects the Monday, 22 June close. For information only, not a recommendation to buy or sell any security.

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