Stock market prediction for Thursday, 1 October, 2026: The The Indian stock market is likely to witness a muted start, as GIFT Nifty signalled a flat opening on Thursday, 1 October.
Meanwhile, Asian markets opened mixed on Thursday, while US stock futures reversed sharply from the day’s high on Wednesday.
“Indian markets are expected to remain cautious in the near term, although downside appears relatively limited from current levels, with the seven-week correction having driven a meaningful valuation reset and brought valuations to more comfortable levels. Higher crude prices and continued selling by Foreign Institutional Investors are likely to keep market sentiment subdued,” said Siddhartha Khemka – Head of Research, Wealth Management, Motilal Oswal Financial Services.
Sensex, Nifty: What happened on Wednesday?
The Indian stock market ended the final trading session of September in negative territory, with the recent relief rally losing momentum as investors booked profits at higher levels. A recovery in crude oil prices also dampened market sentiment.
Both benchmark indices opened higher and gained as much as 0.40% during the session before surrendering their gains and slipping into the red. The Nifty 50 ended Wednesday’s session 0.42% lower at 22,620, staying below the crucial 23,000 mark for the third straight session. The Sensex also declined marginally, closing 0.07% lower at 72,480.
“Markets traded volatile on Wednesday but eventually edged lower, extending the prevailing corrective trend. After a largely flat opening, the benchmark indices initially attempted a recovery, with the Sensex gaining over 500 points and the Nifty moving above 22,800. However, the recovery failed to sustain, and selling resumed in the afternoon, pushing the Nifty down to 22,620.45,” said Ajit Mishra, SVP – research, Religare Broking.
Sensex, Nifty prediction for today: Sensex, Nifty outlook
Gift Nifty today
Gift Nifty was trading around the 22,629 level, down nearly 30 points from the Nifty futures’ previous close, indicating a muted start for the Indian stock market indices.
Sensex
Sensex closed at 72,480.29, declining 48.78 points (-0.07%). The index opened at 72,441.15, touched an intraday high of 73,062.23 and a low of 72,366.44. After a steady rise during the session, the benchmark faced strong selling near the 73,000 mark and surrendered most of its intraday gains, resulting in an almost flat close
On the Sensex outlook, Sachin Gupta, VP – Technical Research at Choice Equity Broking Private Limited, said, “Overall, the Sensex remains sideways to bearish, with 72,000–72,200 crucial on the downside and 72,700–73,000 acting as the immediate hurdle. A decisive breakout above 73,000 could improve sentiment, whereas a breakdown below 72,000 may extend the prevailing weakness.”
Nifty 50
On the Nifty 50 outlook, Rupak De, Senior Technical Analyst at LKP Securities, said that the index formed two back-to-back reversal patterns, with a hammer pattern followed by an inverted hammer pattern. However, sentiment remains highly weak, as strength in crude oil and the 10-year US bond yield continues to keep bullishness in check.
“Nifty again faced resistance at higher levels and made a high around the 20EMA on the hourly chart, leading to a fall towards the end of the session. Going forward, 22,600 is likely to act as a crucial support. A decisive fall below 22,600 might trigger a sharper correction. On the other hand, if the index sustains above 22,600, it might witness a meaningful recovery,” De added.
US markets performance
Wall Street’s benchmark indices gave up most of their early gains and reversed sharply from the day’s highs on Wednesday, September 30, despite softer-than-expected August inflation data that further reduced expectations of a US Federal Reserve rate hike in October.
Dow Jones Industrial Average
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed about 450 points lower after retreating nearly 600 points from its intraday peak. The index had initially opened higher following the inflation data.
The S&P 500 also reversed around 70 points from its day’s high to finish 0.25% lower.
Nasdaq
The Nasdaq outperformed its peers, ending 0.2% higher, although it too pared gains after retreating nearly 250 points from its intraday high.
South Korea’s Kospi performance
The KOSPI opened lower on Wednesday, October 1, the first trading session of the month, as continued pressure from rising US long-term Treasury yields weighed on investor sentiment and kept the South Korean stock market under pressure.
The KOSPI began the session at 6,814.49, down 23.55 points, or 0.34%, from the previous close. The decline extended in early trade, with the index falling below the 6,800 mark to 6,796.82.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 performance
Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 0.9% to trade above the 67,000 mark on Thursday, extending gains for a second consecutive session and hitting its highest level in six weeks. The rally was led by technology and artificial intelligence-related stocks, which remained in strong demand.
Among the notable gainers, Kioxia Holdings advanced 4.1%, while Advantest gained 4.7%. SoftBank Group rose 2.5%, with Taiyo Yuden and Murata Manufacturing climbing 2.5% and 4.5%, respectively.
Taiwan stock market
Taiwan stock market opened in green, with TAIEX index rising 0.22% in the early session on Thursday.
Disclaimer: This story is for educational purposes only. Please consult with an investment advisor before making any investment decisions.
