The benchmark Indian equity indices, Sensex and Nifty 50, are- likely to start Tuesday, December 30, on a flat but negative note, as light trading and weak overnight global cues weighed on sentiment.

Meanwhile, Indian markets closed lower on Monday, December 29, with low volumes and the absence of strong triggers keeping investors cautious. Ongoing selling by foreign institutional investors (FIIs) further pressured sentiment and pointed to a near-term consolidation phase.

Domestic Market Recap

On Monday, Indian indices closed in the red:

• Sensex slumped by 345.91 points (0.41%) to close at 84,695.54
• Nifty 50 moved down by 100.20 points (0.38%) to settle at 25,942.10

Gift Nifty

Gift Nifty was trading near 25,936, around 20 points lower than the previous Nifty futures close, hinting at a muted start for Indian markets.

Overnight Wall Street Performance

The US stocks slipped slightly on Monday in quiet trade as markets moved into another holiday-shortened week. Despite the mild dip, major indices held on to strong gains for the year with just two sessions left before year-end, while US markets remain closed on Thursday for New Year’s Day.

• The Dow Jones Industrial Average slumped by 249.04 points (0.51%) to close at 48,461.93.
• S&P 500 down by 24.20 points (0.35%), ending at 6,905.74.
• The Nasdaq Composite was lower by 118.75 points (0.50%), finishing at 23,474.35.

Gold Prices

• Spot gold was trading 1.17% higher at $4,377.4 per ounce.
• The US gold futures soared by 1.06% to $4,389.25.

Crude Oil Prices

• Brent crude gained by 0.05% to $61.52/barrel
• US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was trading 0.09% higher at $58.13/barrel

Overnight Major Global Events Driving Sentiment

1. Russia–Ukraine Conflict: Russia on Monday accused Ukraine of trying to attack President Vladimir Putin’s residence and warned of retaliation, though it offered no evidence. Ukraine rejected the allegation, calling it false and accusing Moscow of using the claim to undermine already fragile peace talks. However, the exchange further reduced hopes for a negotiated settlement, as Russia said it was reconsidering its position in the talks. The accusation gained attention after Donald Trump said Putin told him Ukraine was responsible—an assertion Kyiv strongly denied.

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