Indian markets gave signals of a volatile session ahead on Friday. The BSE Sensex began the day near 82,130, tanking 41 points, while the NSE Nifty50 started trading near 25,180, nearly flat, around 9:15 AM.

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On the 30-share Sensex, HDFC Bank, Asian Paints, NTPC, Adani Ports, and BEL stood among the gainers. Meanwhile, the laggards included Tata Steel, M&M, Sun Pharma, Bajaj Finance, and UltraTech Cement.

In the broader markets, the Nifty Smallcap50 dominated as it gained 0.37 per cent. Sectorally, the Midsmall Financial Services jumped 0.57 per cent. On the other hand, the Metal index crashed 1.24 per cent.

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In the pre-open session, the Sensex took a hit of almost 100 points and breached 82,100, and the Nifty slipped marginally to trade near 25,150, around 9:07 AM. Notably, the GIFT Nifty indicated a muted session ahead as it inched up 2 points near 7:30 AM.

However, as trading progressed, the Sensex attempted a rally and crossed 82,300, while the Nifty also surpassed 25,200, near 9:21 AM.

Positive foreign fund inflows and optimism around a potential India-US trade understanding also supported investor sentiment.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) remained net buyers, purchasing equities worth Rs 1,308.16 crore on Thursday, according to exchange data.

“The overall market environment is turning positive. Domestically, there are indications of a trade deal between the US and India, with India ‘rebalancing’ its oil purchases. These positive developments and the shift in FII strategy (FIIs were buyers in the cash market in the last three trading days) bode well for the market,” said V K Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Investments.

He added that the better-than-expected results from TCS could lift sentiment for the IT sector going forward.

Global Markets

Across Asia, markets traded on a mixed note. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng, Tokyo’s Nikkei 225, and Shanghai’s SSE Composite indices were in the red, while Seoul’s Kospi edged higher.

In the US, major indices retreated from record highs to close lower on Thursday. Meanwhile, global oil benchmark Brent crude slipped 0.14 per cent to $65.12 per barrel.

How Did Markets Fare Yesterday?

In the previous session on Thursday, both benchmarks rebounded smartly, lifted by strong buying in IT counters and Reliance Industries, alongside continued foreign fund inflows. The Sensex rose 398.44 points, or 0.49 per cent, to close at 82,172.10. Earlier in the day, it had surged 474.07 points, touching an intraday high of 82,247.73. The Nifty climbed 135.65 points, or 0.54 per cent, to settle at 25,181.80.

Technology majors remained in focus ahead of the sector’s earnings season. “Domestic benchmark indices staged a smart recovery on Thursday, reversing the previous session’s losses, as risk appetite returned across the board. The Nifty-50 concluded the session on a strong note, settling just shy of the 25,200 milestone, underpinned by sustained buying across key sectors,” Bajaj Broking Research noted.