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Benchmark equity indices, BSE Sensex and Nifty50, opened on a mixed note on Thursday, reflecting mixed global cues
Sensex, Nifty Today
Sensex Today: After a muted start, benchmark equity indices BSE Sensex and Nifty50 moved higher on Thursday, amid mixed global cues following the US Federal Reserve’s decision to hold rates due to concerns over trade policy and inflation.
By 11 AM, the BSE Sensex had gained 189.02 points, or 0.25%, reaching 76,721.98, while the Nifty50 was up by 88.50 points, or 0.38%, at 23,251.60.
On the 30-stock BSE Sensex, 18 stocks were trading higher, while the remaining declined. The top gainers included Bajaj Finance (up 3.54%), followed by Bajaj Finserv, NTPC, Maruti Suzuki India, and IndusInd Bank. On the losing side, Tata Motors led the declines with a 7.19% drop, followed by ITC Hotels, Infosys, ICICI Bank, and Axis Bank.
On the Nifty50, 28 stocks advanced, 22 declined, and one remained unchanged. Bajaj Finance led the gains with a 3.87% rise, followed by Bajaj Finserv, Hindalco, IndusInd Bank, and ITC Hotels. Tata Motors, down by 7.67%, was the biggest loser, with Wipro, Infosys, ICICI Bank, and UltraTech Cement also seeing losses.
Sector-wise, the Nifty Consumer Durables and Auto indices were under pressure, falling by 1.31% and 1.19%, respectively. The Nifty IT index dropped by 0.55%, while the Nifty Private Bank and Nifty Bank indices were lower by 0.10% and 0.08%, respectively.
On the positive side, the Nifty Realty index was the top performer, rising by 1.55%, followed by gains in the Oil, Media, Pharma, Healthcare, PSU Bank, FMCG, and Financial Services sectors.
In the broader markets, the BSE Midcap and BSE Smallcap indices gained 0.33% and 0.55%, respectively, while the India VIX, a measure of market volatility, increased by 1.48%.
Global Cues
On Wall Street, benchmark indices closed lower as the US Federal Reserve refrained from providing clarity on when it might resume its easing cycle.
Meanwhile, the US trade deficit in goods, a longstanding concern for former President Trump, widened to a record high of $122.1 billion in December, an 18% increase. Imports of goods rose by 3.9%, while exports dropped 4.5%. This widening deficit raises the risk of a sharper slowdown in GDP growth for the fourth quarter, with the government set to release its advance GDP estimate on Thursday.
In the Asia-Pacific region, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.4%, extending gains from the previous session, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 inched up by 0.06%. Markets in Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and China remained closed for Lunar New Year holidays.
US equity indices dipped as the dollar firmed on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve held interest rates steady without offering guidance on when further rate cuts might occur. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.3%, while both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite lost around 0.5%, ahead of earnings reports from major companies like Microsoft, Meta, and Tesla.
Nvidia’s shares continued their downward slide, falling 4.1% after Bloomberg News reported that US officials were discussing restrictions on Nvidia’s chip sales to China, amid growing competition from China’s DeepSeek AI model.
Earlier, European shares hit a record high, driven by strong earnings from Dutch chip equipment maker ASML, whose stock surged 5.5%, boosting the broader tech sector by 2.4%. MSCI’s global stock gauge fell by 0.17%.
In bond markets, the 10-year US Treasury yield remained stable at 4.549%, while the 2-year note yield, closely tied to interest rate expectations for the Fed, ticked up 1.9 basis points to 4.224%. European yields were steady, with expectations that the European Central Bank might cut rates again on Thursday. The Japanese yen edged higher to 155.34 per dollar after the Bank of Japan’s meeting minutes indicated possible future rate hikes.
Traders also absorbed the latest tariff threats from US President Donald Trump. The White House stated that Trump plans to impose steep tariffs on Mexico and Canada this Saturday, and he is “very much” considering tariffs on China as well.
The US dollar strengthened against major currencies on Wednesday, rising 0.35% to 0.907 against the Swiss franc, while weakening 0.17% to 155.25 against the Japanese yen. The euro declined by 0.17% to $1.041.
Oil prices fell on Wednesday, with the US benchmark settling at a year-to-date low after domestic crude stockpiles rose more than expected last week.
