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The GIFT Nifty, an early indicator for Dalal Street, is trading near 24,090 as of 8:20 a.m., compared to the Nifty 50's close of 24,177.65 in the previous session.
Asian stock markets were down, tracking overnight losses in key US benchmarks as oil prices extended gains amid no signs of a US-Iran breakthrough, while the Federal Reserve held interest rates steady. The MSCI Asia Pacific index slipped 0.6%.
Japanese shares declined as trading resumed after a holiday. The benchmark Nikkei 225 shed 1.3%, while the broader Topix fell 1.7%. South Korea's Kospi swung between gains and losses.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 1.2% and the CSI 300 declined 0.2%. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.43%.
Futures tied to the S&P 500 added 0.4%, while Nasdaq 100 futures gained 0.9%. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures fell 130 points, or 0.2%.
Oil prices climbed further with global benchmark Brent crude hovering around the $120-a-barrel mark, as geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and Iran showed little sign of easing.
The Indian rupee depreciated nearly 20 paise to hit a record low of 95.125 against the dollar.
Brokerages are turning more constructive on Bajaj Finance after its Q4 update, with several upgrades and target price hikes signalling improving confidence in the growth outlook. Citi upgraded the stock to “Buy,” highlighting that earlier headwinds have largely cleared. Morgan Stanley echoed the optimism, maintaining an “Overweight” rating and pointing to improving asset quality and stronger management commentary. Jefferies also retained its “Buy” stance, citing steady quarterly performance, improving credit quality, and a robust growth outlook.
That said, not all brokerages are convinced the optimism is fully priced in. Macquarie and Bernstein remain cautious, maintaining “Underperform” ratings amid concerns around valuations and sustainability of growth. Both flagged that while credit costs are easing and asset quality is improving, guidance for FY27—particularly around growth and return ratios — may be too aggressive.
Welspun Enterprises has received the Letter of Award for the development of a six-lane, partially elevated highway corridor on NH-753F, covering the Pune–Shirur section in Maharashtra. The project, with a total cost of Rs 7,300 crore, will be developed under a 29-year concession agreement on DBFOT (Toll) basis.
This award strengthens WEL’s order book and enhances revenue visibility across its business verticals. The company’s outstanding order book (EPC and O&M) stands at Rs 18,755 crore (less execution done in Q4 FY26).
Source: Exchange Filing
Brokerages rolled out fresh calls on Bajaj Finance, Bharti Airtel, Federal Bank, Navin Fluorine, and Patanjali Foods, while also flagging trends across IT, retail and new-age platforms.
The USFDA completed a Pre-License Inspection (PLI) at Biocon’s biosimilars site at Biocon Park in Bengaluru, India. The inspection was conducted between April 20, 2026, and April 29, 2026, and covered 3 Biologics Manufacturing units, 5 Quality testing laboratories and 2 Warehouses.
At the conclusion of the inspection, the FDA issued a Form 483 with five observations. These observations are procedural in nature and do not pertain to data integrity or quality oversight. There were no repeat observations noted. The Company will submit a comprehensive Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA) plan within the stipulated timeline and is confident all observations will be addressed fully and expeditiously.
Source: Exchange filing
Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 1.2% and the CSI 300 declined 0.2%.
Sonal Varma, managing director and chief economist for India and Asia ex‑Japan at Nomura, told NDTV Profit that the burden on India’s fiscal side is increasing significantly due to crude oil prices surging to $120 per barrel. She noted that losses for Indian oil marketing companies continue to rise, underscoring the need to remain alert to the risk of physical supply shortages. Varma highlighted that Thailand and India are among the most vulnerable countries to energy shocks, adding that an energy shock would be a major challenge for Asian economies.
US Fed's decision to keep rates unchanged may have a neutral to short-term impact on Indian equity markets.
An early indicator is usually the GIFT Nifty, which is, in fact, trading flat heading into market open. This suggests that markets may not deviate too much at open, at least in lieu of overnight cues, including the Fed Rate decision.
What the rate decision could mean, however, is RBI's rate cut trajectory.
Ajitabh Bharti, executive director and co-founder of CapitalXB, believes US Fed's rate decision aligns with RBI's own pause earlier this April. Bharti said the central bank will continue to keep rates higher for longer, especially in the midst of higher crude prices.
OnEMI Technology Solutions, the parent company of Kissht, is set to launch an initial public offering (IPO) to raise over Rs 900 crore from the primary market. The company provides financing solutions such as personal loans and Loans Against Property (LAP). Ahead of its listing, the grey market premium (GMP) indicated a premium of over 4% for the issue.
The price band is set at Rs 162 to Rs 171 per equity share. Bids can be made for a minimum of 87 equity shares and in multiples thereafter. The Kissht IPO total issue size is Rs 926 crore (Fresh issue of Rs 850 crore and OFS of Rs 76 crore).
According to Dhupesh Dhameja, Derivatives Research Analyst, SAMCO Securities, the Nifty 50 faces hurdle at key resistance zone and may stay range-bound with slight cautious bias.
On the downside, 24,000–23,950 acts as immediate support, followed by 23,750–23,700 as a stronger base. A break below these levels could trigger renewed selling pressure. On the upside, 24,200–24,300 remains a crucial resistance zone, and only a decisive breakout above this range can revive bullish momentum.
From a derivatives perspective, PCR stands near 0.93, indicating a neutral undertone. Option data shows call writing concentrated around 24,300–24,500, capping the upside, while put writing near 24,000–23,800 is providing immediate support, reinforcing a defined trading range.
Momentum indicators remain subdued, with RSI hovering near the mid-zone (50–52), reflecting lack of strong directional strength. Overall, the index is struggling near key resistance levels, and until it sustains above them, a range-bound to sell-on-rise strategy remains favourable, with resistance levels likely to cap upside in the near term.
ACC, Acutaas Chemicals, Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone, Aster DM Healthcare, Bajaj Finserv, Central Bank of India, Capri Global Capital, Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Company, Edelweiss Financial Services, Equitas Small Finance Bank, Eveready Industries India, Go Fashion (India), Godrej Agrovet, HFCL, Hindustan Unilever, IDBI Bank, Ideaforge Technology, IndiaMART InterMESH, Indus Towers, Kajaria Ceramics, KSB, Dr. Lal PathLabs, Laurus Labs, Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders, National Aluminium Company, Newgen Software Technologies, National Securities Depository, PCBL Chemical, PSP Projects, RailTel Corporation of India, R R Kabel, SIS, Smartworks Coworking Spaces, Sona BLW Precision Forgings, Sundram Fasteners, Usha Martin, Welspun Specialty Solutions.
Oil prices climbed further on Thursday, with global benchmark Brent crude hovering around the $120-a-barrel mark, as geopolitical tensions between the US and Iran showed little sign of easing. The rally reflects growing concerns that supply disruptions could persist longer than initially expected.
June futures for Brent crude rose nearly 2% to trade at $120 per barrel, while U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) edged up to around $107. The move follows a sharp surge in the previous session, when Brent jumped about 6% and WTI rallied 7%.
Wednesday was a big one for US markets, with the Federal Reserve coming out with their interest rate decision. But more importantly, a slew of silicon valley tech giants and global companies like Samsung, reported their first quarter earnings.
The four big names posting their Q1 2026 earnings were Meta, Alphabet, Amazon and Samsung, all of who beat Wall Street estimates on the back of AI-driven growth, whereas Samsung posted a historic profit, fueled by an explosive surge for memory chips that are used in AI data centres.
Here is a round-up of how each of these big four companies fared in the first quarter of 2026.
The board re-appointed Nitin Rakesh as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director. The company announced a final dividend of Rs 62 per share.
Stocks on Wall Street ended Wednesday's volatile session on a mixed note as oil prices jumped and tensions escalated between the US and Iran over the Strait of Hormuz. Markets also digested a divided Federal Reserve policy decision and looked ahead to quarterly results from four megacap companies released after the close.
The S&P 500 settled flat, with losses in industrial and healthcare stocks offsetting gains in the energy sector. Nvidia and Microsoft were the largest point drags on the index. In contrast, the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 advanced 0.6%.
India's benchmark equity indices ended higher on Wednesday, with strength in heavyweights Reliance Industries, ITC and Bharti Airtel overpowering decline in bank stocks. The BSE Sensex closed at 77,496.36, rising 609.45 points (0.79%), while the Nifty advanced 181.95 points (0.76%) to settle at 24,177.65.
Sectors painted a mixed picture: FMCG, Realty, and Auto led the advance, but Media, PSU Banks, and Consumer Durables lagged.
Market breadth turned marginally positive, with an advanced decline ratio standing at 1.01, signaling selective buying after selective profit booking of yesterday.
The Indian rupee depreciated 30 paise to hit a record low close as rising crude oil prices and a surging US dollar weighed on the currency.
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