Dalal Street Week Ahead: Strait Of Hormuz, Q4 Earnings, FII Flow In Focus

Indian equity benchmarks continued their upward trend for the second consecutive week ending April 17. The Nifty 50 rose 303 points, or 1.26%, to close at 24,354, while the Sensex gained 943 points, or 1.22%, to 78,494. The gains followed a nearly 6% rally in the previous week.

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Larger markets beat the benchmarks by gaining, with the Nifty Midcap 100 climbing 3.55%, while the Smallcap 100 jumped up by 4.3%.

Hormuz Strait, Oil Prices Important Global Factors

The situation around the Hormuz Strait continues to be significant for global markets. The waterway handles around 20% of the global oil supply, according to Reuters.

Brent crude prices fell over 12% intraday to $86.09 per barrel on April 18 before settling at $92.41, down 5.9% for the day. On a weekly basis, prices declined 1.95%, following a 13.71% drop in the previous week, as per Reuters data.

The volatility follows shifting developments, including the reopening and subsequent restrictions on the Strait by Iran, along with continued U.S. blockade measures on Iranian ports.

Q4 Earnings To Drive Stock-Specific Moves

More than 90 companies are scheduled to announce their March quarter earnings in the coming week. Reliance Industries, Infosys, HCL Technologies, Axis Bank, Nestle India, SBI Life Insurance, Tech Mahindra, Trent, and Shriram Finance are some of the most important companies in the Nifty 50. These companies together account for over 22% weightage in the index.

Other firms set to release results include IndusInd Bank, Tata Elxsi, L&T Technology Services, Persistent Systems, Havells India, Tata Communications, Adani Green Energy, and IDFC First Bank.

FII Flow And Rupee Movement In Focus

Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) remained net sellers during the week, offloading shares worth ₹251 crore, according to exchange data. But compared to previous weeks, sales have slowed down. FIIs have sold over ₹1.61 lakh crore since March and more than ₹2.09 lakh crore in 2026 so far.

Domestic institutional investors (DIIs) turned net sellers, selling shares worth nearly ₹6,300 crore during the week, after consistent buying in recent months.

The Indian rupee gained 0.51% during the week to close at 92.57 against the U.S. dollar. Foreign exchange reserves rose to $700.95 billion for the week ended April 10, compared to $697.12 billion in the previous week, as per Reserve Bank of India data.

Key Data And Events Lined Up

Market participants will track infrastructure output data for March on April 20, HSBC flash PMI readings on April 23, and the minutes of the Reserve Bank of India’s monetary policy meeting on April 22.

Important data points from the U.S. will be retail sales, jobless claims, inflation outlook, and testimony from Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh on April 21.

The IPO scene will still be thin, although Leapfrog Engineering Services will kick off with its ₹88.5-crore IPO on April 23. In conclusion, there are several external and internal factors which may affect markets in the next few days.