Sensex Today
The BSE Sensex's level, its returns and compound growth over every period up to twenty years, and its daily chart since 1997.
At the 19 Oct 2026 close, the Sensex stood at 73,852.90, down 1.17% on the day; its 52-week closing range is 71,593.24 to 85,762.01 (-13.9% from the high). Over one year it has moved -12.0%, and over ten years it has compounded at 10.2% a year (price return).
The Sensex is BSE's benchmark index of 30 large Indian companies, weighted by free-float market capitalisation, with a base of 100 in 1978-79. This page shows today's level and move, its 52-week range, returns from one month to twenty years with CAGR, and a daily chart back to 1997.
BSE Sensex Chart daily candles · add any indicator · computed in your browser
Loading chart…
Daily BSE Sensex open, high, low and close from NSE’s end-of-day index file, updated after each session (no intraday bars). Volume is the index constituents’ traded shares where NSE publishes it. Charts by TradingView Lightweight Charts™ © TradingView, Inc.
The BSE Sensex, usually just the Sensex, is India's oldest stock index: 30 large, established companies listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange, weighted by free-float market capitalisation. It was first published in 1986 with a base of 100 for 1978-79, and its long history makes it the index most often quoted for how Indian shares have done over decades.
This page carries the index level, its 52-week range and a returns table going back twenty years, from daily closes since 1997 (sourced from Yahoo Finance's ^BSESN series, since BSE does not publish a free end-of-day index file like NSE's). For the Sensex's options, see the Sensex option chain; weekly Sensex options expire on Thursdays.
How the Sensex is built
The Sensex holds 30 companies chosen for size, liquidity and sector representation, with weights set by free-float market capitalisation (the method since 2003). Constituents are reviewed twice a year, in June and December. With only 30 stocks, a few heavyweights carry much of each day's move.
Most Sensex companies are also in the Nifty 50, so the two indices track each other closely; the differences come from the twenty extra Nifty names and slightly different weights. The Nifty 50 page lists that index's constituents with their positioning.
Long-run returns
The returns table compares the latest close with the close on the same date one month to twenty years earlier. From three years up it gives the CAGR. These are price returns: the Sensex level does not include dividends, which a total-return index adds back. Long-run CAGR depends heavily on the start and end points, so compare several periods rather than one; the CAGR calculator works out any range month by month.
Key takeaways
- 30 large BSE-listed companies, free-float weighted.
- Base 100 in 1978-79; first published in 1986.
- Returns here are price returns, dividends excluded.
- Weekly Sensex options expire on Thursdays.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Sensex?
BSE's benchmark index of 30 large, established Indian companies, weighted by free-float market capitalisation. Its base value is 100 for 1978-79.
How many companies are in the Sensex?
Thirty. They are reviewed twice a year, in June and December.
What is the Sensex's return over 20 years?
The returns table on this page gives the Sensex's change and CAGR over one to twenty years to the latest close, updated after every session. They are price returns and leave out dividends.
Is the Sensex the same as the Nifty?
No. The Sensex has 30 stocks and is run by BSE; the Nifty 50 has 50 and is run by NSE. Most Sensex stocks are also in the Nifty 50, so the two usually move together.
When do Sensex options expire?
Weekly Sensex options expire on Thursdays, moving to the previous trading day when Thursday is a holiday. The expiry-day page lists the next dates.