# S&P 500 closes at record; Indian markets open lower 2026-08-13T22:49:11+00:00 | Business & Economy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 3 independent outlets Indian equity benchmarks opened lower on Friday as persistent Middle East tensions offset a record close on the S&P 500. The S&P 500 gained 0.66 per cent to end at 7,799.73 after July US producer prices were unchanged, reinforcing expectations that the Federal Reserve will keep rates steady in September. Technology stocks led the rally: Sandisk and Micron surged, while Broadcom and Meta Platforms also rose. The Nasdaq added 0.81 per cent. Yet crude oil, though down from recent highs, remained elevated at around $87 a barrel. Brent had climbed above $91 after hopes of a US-Iran deal faded. The Sensex opened at 77,903.43, down 0.43 per cent, and the Nifty fell 0.35 per cent to 24,309.55. IT and consumer stocks offered limited support. ## Coverage - economictimes.indiatimes.com - livemint.com - indiatoday.in Tags: AI boom, Federal Reserve, producer prices, rate hike, S&P 500, US stocks Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/sp-500-closes-at-record-high-as-rate-hike-fears-fade/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/sp-500-closes-at-record-high-as-rate-hike-fears-fade/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.