New Delhi, May 18 -- Buy or sell stocks, 18 May 2026: The Indian stock market is likely to begin the new trading week on a cautious to bearish note, with the Gift Nifty index is trading around the 23,525 zone, more than 175 points below Friday's Nifty spot close of 23,643. Weak cues from broader Asian markets and rising geopolitical uncertainty are keeping sentiment under pressure in early trade.

Global risk appetite weakened sharply after fresh escalation fears emerged in the Middle East. U.S. President Donald Trump's warning urging Iran to "get moving, FAST" has once again revived concerns around a possible disruption in global crude oil supply routes, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz. As a result, Asian markets opened broadly ...