20 April, 2026 | 6:57 AM
US-Iran peace talks, Q4 earnings, oil prices to drive markets this wk
20-04-2026 12:00:00 AM
New Delhi
Stock markets would keenly track developments in the US-Iran conflict, crude oil prices and quarterly earnings from corporates for further direction this week, analysts said on Sunday. Besides, trading activity of foreign investors would also influence trading in the markets, they noted.
"Geopolitical developments in the US-Iran conflict will remain a key monitorable, given their direct impact on crude oil prices and global risk sentiment," Ajit Mishra, SVP, Research, Religare Broking Ltd, said. Meanwhile, the ceasefire between the US and Iran is set to expire on Monday, April 22, 2026. On the domestic front, focus will shift to the ongoing Q4 FY26 earnings season, Mishra said.
"Market participants will initially react to results from banking heavyweights such as HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank. Subsequently, several key companies, including HCL Technologies, Infosys, Tech Mahindra, Havells, IndusInd Bank and Shriram Finance, are scheduled to announce their results," he added.
The country's largest private-sector lender, HDFC Bank, on Saturday reported an 8.04% jump in March quarter consolidated net profit to ₹20,350.76 crore, but flagged near-term risks from the West Asia conflict for a segment of small-business borrowers.
ICICI Bank on Saturday reported a 9.28% rise in consolidated net profit to ₹14,755 crore for the March quarter, helped by a nearly 90% drop in provisioning.
Santosh Meena, head of research at Swastika Investmart Ltd, said, "The primary driver for the coming week will be the deluge of Q4 earnings reports, alongside a keen focus on US macro data and ongoing geopolitical shifts."
Last week, the BSE benchmark Sensex jumped 943.29 points, or 1.21%, and the NSE Nifty climbed 302.95 points, or 1.25%.
Investor attention will be focused on the trajectory of US-Iran negotiations, with greater emphasis on signs of a durable resolution rather than short-term headlines, given the implications for global risk assets, capital flows and crude oil prices.
