India’s benchmark indices, the Sensex and Nifty 50, are likely to open lower on Friday, tracking weak signals from overnight global markets.

Asian markets traded on a mixed note, while US equities closed mostly lower overnight as investors sold technology stocks.

Moreover, on Thursday, the Indian stock market witnessed a volatile session and ended on a mixed note amid profit booking in select heavyweight stocks.

Domestic Market Recap

On Thursday, Indian indices closed on a mixed note:

• Sensex slipped by 27.46 points (0.03%) to close at 82,248.61
• Nifty 50 moved up by 14.05 points (0.06%) to settle at 25,496.55

Gift Nifty

Gift Nifty was trading near 25,559, around 77 points lower than the previous Nifty futures close, hinting at a negative start for Indian markets.

Overnight Wall Street Performance

The US stock market closed lower on Thursday as investors sold technology shares after Nvidia’s earnings failed to impress the Street. 

• The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained by 17.05 points (0.03%) to close at 49,499.20.
• S&P 500 down by 37.27 points (0.54%), ending at 6,908.86.
• The Nasdaq Composite was lower by 273.69 points (1.18%), finishing at 22,878.38.

Crude Oil Prices

• Brent crude slumped by 0.35% to $70.50/barrel
• US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was trading 0.32% lower at $64.99/barrel

Overnight Major Global Events Driving Sentiment

1. US–Iran Nuclear Talks: Iran said it conducted nuclear negotiations with the US in a “very intense and very serious” manner after both sides paused discussions until early evening in Switzerland. The two countries began their third round of Omani-mediated talks in Geneva on Thursday, continuing efforts to resolve their longstanding nuclear dispute.
2. SEBI Circular: The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has revised the valuation methodology for physical gold and silver held by mutual fund schemes. The regulator has directed fund houses to use polled spot prices published by stock exchanges to determine valuation. SEBI will implement the revised norms from April 1, 2026.

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