The Indian stock market benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty 50, are expected to open higher on Wednesday amid mixed global market cues.
Asian markets traded higher, while the US stock market ended mixed overnight, amid escalating US-China trade tensions.
On Tuesday, the Indian stock market indices ended lower, extending losses for the second consecutive session, with the benchmark Nifty 50 slipping below 25,200 level.
The Sensex declined 297.07 points, or 0.36%, to close at 82,029.98, while the Nifty 50 settled 81.85 points, or 0.32%, lower at 25,145.50.
“Market are expected to remain range-bound, with global trends, FII flows, and Q2FY26 earnings likely to guide near-term direction,” said Siddhartha Khemka – Head of Research, Wealth Management, Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd.
Here are key global market cues for Sensex today:
Asian Markets
Asian markets traded higher on Wednesday on increased bets of the US Federal Reserve’s interest rate cut. Japan’s Nikkei 225 index rallied 0.82%, while the Topix gained 0.75%. South Korea’s Kospi jumped 1.2%, while the Kosdaq surged 0.83%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index futures indicated a higher opening.
Gift Nifty Today
Gift Nifty was trading around 25,288 level, a premium of nearly 82 points from the Nifty futures’ previous close, indicating a positive start for the Indian stock market indices.
Wall Street
US stock market ended mixed on Tuesday after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell reinforced bets on an interest rate cut in October amid a weakening labor market.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 202.88 points, or 0.44%, to 46,270.46, while the S&P 500 fell 10.41 points, or 0.16%, to 6,644.31. The Nasdaq Composite closed 172.91 points, or 0.76%, lower at 22,521.70.
Nvidia share price plunged 4.41%, Amazon shares fell 1.67%, HP stock price rallied 4.35%, while Intel shares declined 4.27%. Tesla stock price dropped 1.53%.
US-China Trade Tensions
The US and China began charging additional port fees on ocean shipping firms that move everything. China said it had started to collect the special charges on US-owned, operated, built or flagged vessels but clarified that Chinese-built ships would be exempted from the levies.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell
US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell signaled the central bank may stop shrinking its balance sheet in the coming months. The Fed chair also indicated labor-market prospects continue to worsen, a message that supports investors’ expectations for another interest rate cut this month. “Our long-stated plan is to stop balance sheet runoff when reserves are somewhat above the level we judge consistent with ample reserve conditions,” Powell said.
IMF Ups India’s GDP Growth Estimates
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) raised India’s GDP growth forecast for FY26 to 6.6% compared to its earlier estimate of 6.4%. In its latest World Economic Outlook (WEO), the agency also lowered the growth forecast by 20 bps to 6.2% for 2026-27. The IMF projects global growth to slow from 3.3% in 2024 to 3.2% in 2025 and to 3.1% in 2026.
Tech Mahindra Q2 Results
Tech Mahindra’s net profit in Q2FY26 rose 4.8% to ₹1,195 crore from ₹1,141 crore, while revenue grew 4.8% to ₹13,995 crore from ₹13,351 crore, QoQ. EBIT increased 15.1% to ₹1,699.4 crore from ₹1,477 crore, while EBIT margin improved by 100 bps to 12.1% from 11.1%, QoQ. Tech Mahindra board also declared an interim dividend of ₹15 per share.
Gold Prices
Gold prices rose, hovering near record highs, as investors flocked to safe-haven bullion on renewed US-China trade tensions. Spot gold price rose 0.4% to $4,155.99 per ounce, while US gold futures for December delivery gained 0.3% to $4,174.30.
US Dollar, Treasury Yields
The US dollar was on the defensive after comments from Powell bolstered wagers on an interest rate cut this month. The dollar index, which measures the US currency against those three peers along with three others, was flat at 99.055, after declining 0.2% in the prior session, Reuters reported. The greenback was steady at 151.80 yen, and the euro held firm at $1.1606.
The yield on benchmark US 10-year notes fell 2.3 basis points to 4.028%, from 4.051% late on Friday. The 30-year bond yield fell 1.1 basis points to 4.6234% from 4.634%.
Crude Oil Prices
Crude oil prices fell as investors weighed the International Energy Agency’s warning of a supply surplus in 2026. Brent crude oil futures fell 0.16% to $62.29 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate futures declined by 0.14% to $58.62. Both contracts closed at five-month lows in the previous trading session.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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