Stock Watch — August 25, 2026
Market Day Summary | Not investment advice
Summary as of 08:15 IST, August 25, 2026. Data reflects previous close on Monday, August 24, 2026 unless noted.
🌍 GLOBAL CUES
| Market | Level | Change | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| GIFT Nifty | 24,144 | -75 | -0.31% |
| Dow Jones (Aug 24) | ~53,416 | +139 | +0.26% |
| S&P 500 (Aug 24) | ~7,652 | -21 | -0.28% |
| Nasdaq (Aug 24) | ~25,978 | -202 | -0.77% |
| India VIX | 11.53 | +0.33 | +2.95% |
US Futures (pre-Aug 25): Dow flat, S&P -0.2%, Nasdaq -0.5%\nAsian cues: Nikkei flat, Hang Seng -1.9%\nMacro: Brent crude holding $90–92/bbl amid US-Iran tensions. Jackson Hole symposium Aug 27–29. July PCE data on Aug 26. Fed rate hike probability ~40% for September. Nvidia earnings this week.
📊 INDICES
| Index | Prev Close | Change | % Change | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nifty 50 | 24,219.05 | -32.95 | -0.14% | ➡️ |
| Bank Nifty | 57,525.95 | -236.00 | -0.41% | ↘️ |
| FinNifty | ~26,145 | ~-116 | ~-0.44% | ↘️ |
| Nifty IT | 30,596.90 | +64.65 | +0.21% | ↗️ |
Key Nifty Levels: S1: 24,100–24,150 | S2: 24,000–23,800 | R1: 24,400–24,450 | R2: 24,600–24,750 (200-DMA)\nBank Nifty: Support at 57,250–57,300\nIndia VIX at 11.53 — elevated, signalling caution ahead of double F&O expiry week (monthly Aug 25 + weekly Aug 27).
🏦 BANKS — Digital Payments Focus
| Bank | Symbol | Prev Close | Change % | Direction | Key Levels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HDFC Bank | HDFCBANK | ₹729.00 | +0.28% | ↗️ | S: 720, R: 735 |
| ICICI Bank | ICICIBANK | ₹1,415.00 | -0.35% | ↘️ | S: 1,400, R: 1,425 |
| State Bank of India | SBIN | ₹1,039.50 | -0.88% | ↘️ | S: 1,030, R: 1,055 |
| Axis Bank | AXISBANK | ₹1,236.00 | -0.79% | ↘️ | S: 1,225, R: 1,250 |
| Kotak Mahindra | KOTAKBANK | ₹401.45 | -0.34% | ↘️ | S: 398, R: 405 |
HDFC Bank was the sole gainer among major banks (+0.28%), aided by RBI approval for LIC to raise its stake to 9.99%. SBI and Axis Bank dragged the most. PSU Bank index was the weakest sector (-0.93%). Nifty financials broadly under pressure — SBI Life -1.77%, Bajaj Finance -1.53%.
💳 FINTECH — Pure Play
Tier B1: Digital Payments & Wallets
| Company | Symbol | Prev Close | Change % | Direction | 52W Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paytm (One97) | PAYTM | ₹1,623.50 | -0.52% | ↘️ | 931–1,658 |
| MobiKwik | MOBIKWIK | ~₹212.00* | ~flat | ➡️ | — |
PAYTM gave up some of its recent 17% monthly gains. MobiKwik last confirmed close Aug 21.
Tier B2: Insurance & Credit Marketplaces
| Company | Symbol | Prev Close | Change % | Direction | 52W Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PB Fintech (PolicyBazaar) | PBFINTECH | ~₹1,745.00* | ~flat | ➡️ | — |
Last confirmed close Aug 21.
Tier B3: Payment Infrastructure & Gateways
| Company | Symbol | Prev Close | Change % | Direction | 52W Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infibeam Avenues | INFIBEAM | ~₹14.89* | ~flat | ➡️ | — |
| Pine Labs | PINELABS | ~₹156.91* | ~flat | ➡️ | — |
| NPST | NPST | ~₹1,588.50* | ~flat | ➡️ | — |
Pine Labs added to FTSE Emerging Markets All Cap Index (effective Sep 21). FII stake up 4%+, DII up 13%+ in Pine Labs — strong institutional accumulation signal.\n*Last confirmed close Aug 21 for PINELABS, NPST; ~Aug 20 for INFIBEAM.
Tier B4: Payments Banking & Cards
| Company | Symbol | Prev Close | Change % | Direction | 52W Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fino Payments Bank | FINOPB | ₹147.91 | +1.36% | ↗️ | — |
| SBI Cards | SBICARD | ~₹649.00* | ~flat | ➡️ | — |
Fino Payments Bank — Board approved extension of Ketan Merchant as Interim CEO for up to 3 months effective Aug 27, subject to RBI approval. Stock gained +1.36% on the news.\n*SBICARD last confirmed close Aug 21.
Tier B5: ATM & Cash (Peripheral)
| Company | Symbol | Prev Close | Change % | Direction | 52W Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AGS Transact | AGSTRA | ~₹51.06 | ~-2.01% | ↘️ | — |
⚠️ AGS Transact is under CIRP (Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process). Trade with extreme caution. Last confirmed close ~Aug 21.
📰 Sector News
- UPI turns 10 today (Aug 25): Launched in 2016, UPI processed 24,162 crore transactions in FY26. Monthly volumes crossed 2,300 crore for the first time in 2026. 741 banks now live on UPI network. Operational in 11 countries.\n- NPCI mobile masking directive: Apps must mask mobile numbers (only last 4 digits visible) by Sep 4, 2026 — privacy-focused move.\n- RBI repo rate unchanged at 5.25% (Aug 5 review).\n- Fino Payments Bank: Interim CEO Ketan Merchant’s tenure extended up to 3 months from Aug 27, pending RBI approval.\n- LIC stake hike: RBI approved LIC to raise its stake in HDFC Bank to 9.99% — structural demand support.\n- Pine Labs: Added to FTSE Emerging Markets All Cap Index (effective Sep 21). FII and DII significantly increased stakes.\n- Double F&O expiry this week: Monthly expiry on Aug 25, weekly on Aug 27. Expect elevated volatility — India VIX already up ~3%.\n- Global: US-Iran tensions escalating (new sanctions, tariffs on Canadian vehicles). Jackson Hole symposium Aug 27–29. July PCE data on Aug 26. Nvidia earnings due — chip stocks under pressure.\n- IPO: Annu Projects (₹175 Cr) opens for subscription today. Augmont Enterprises IPO in final day of bidding (144.5x subscribed).\n- Sector moves (Aug 24): PSU banks -0.93% (weakest), metals outperformed (JSW Steel +1.98%, Hindalco +1.71%). Bajaj Finance -1.53%, SBI Life -1.77% were top Nifty losers.
🔮 Expectation
Bearish bias at open. GIFT Nifty indicating ~75 pts lower start. Double F&O expiry week adds volatility premium (VIX at 11.53). Nifty must hold 24,150 to prevent slide toward 24,050; Bank Nifty needs to sustain above 57,250. Key events: July PCE (Aug 26), Jackson Hole (Aug 27–29), Nvidia earnings. Metals may continue to outperform; financials remain under pressure. UPI’s 10th anniversary could provide sentiment boost to pure-play payments stocks.
** Items marked * denote last available confirmed close (not Aug 24) due to data availability at publication time.
Sources: Moneycontrol, NSE India, Economic Times Markets, NDTV Profit, Trendlyne, Investing.com, Fintech Biz News, Hindu Business Line, CNBC TV18 Disclaimer: AI-generated for educational purposes. Not investment advice. For informational purposes only.