The Indian stock market is likely to open on a higher note, tracking gains in Asian markets after US said it had attacked Venezuela and captured President Nicolas Maduro and his wife over the weekend.
Early cues from Gift Nifty pointed to a positive start for domestic equities. Gift Nifty was trading at 26,542, up 76 points, or 0.29%, from the previous close of Nifty futures.
In the previous session, both market indices – Sensex and Nifty – closed in green, clocking healthy gains on Friday, January 2, supported by broad-based buying and rising optimism ahead of the Q3 earnings season. The Sensex advanced 573 points, or 0.67%, to close at 85,762.01. The Nifty 50 touched an all-time intraday high of 26,340 before easing slightly to end at a record closing level of 26,328.55, up 182 points, or 0.70%.
“Markets extended their gains on Friday and reclaimed record-high levels, marking a strong start to the New Year. The Nifty maintained a positive bias throughout the session and closed near the day’s high at 26,335, registering a gain of 0.73%. Sentiment was supported by positive sector-specific developments, particularly stronger auto sales trends and an improving demand outlook across cyclical sectors. Select index heavyweights provided additional Meanwhile, continued weakness in tobacco-related stocks weighed on the FMCG space following recent tax-related developments,” said Ajit Mishra, SVP, Research, Religare Broking.
Here are the key things that changed since the stock market closed yesterday and may impact Sensex, Nifty 50 movement today:
Asian markets
Asian markets began the first full trading week of 2026 on a strong footing, following news that the US had launched an attack on Venezuela and detained President Nicolas Maduro over the weekend.
Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 jumped 2.26% in its first trading session of the year, while the Topix climbed 1.42% to hit a record high. South Korea’s Kospi gained 2.19% to finish at an all-time closing peak of 4,420.92, and the small-cap Kosdaq inched up 0.2%.
Gift Nifty today
The trends on Gift Nifty indicated a positive start for the Indian benchmark index. The Gift Nifty was trading at 26,542, up 76 points or 0.29% from the Nifty futures’ previous close.
wall street
On Friday, which was the first trading session of 2026, the S&P 500 edged higher, supported by gains in semiconductor stocks that helped steady the index.
The benchmark rose 0.19% to close at 6,858.47, while the Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.03% to 23,235.63. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 319.10 points, or 0.66%, to end at 48,382.39.
US attacks Venezuela
Over the weekend, the US launched a major military operation against Venezuela. President Donald Trump announced it in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, stating that US forces had carried out the strike. He also claimed that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife were taken into custody and removed from the country.
“The United States of America has successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country. This operation was done in conjunction with US Law Enforcement. Details to follow. …… Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Donald Trump said on the platform.
Crude Oil Prices
Oil prices edged higher on Monday as investors assessed whether political turmoil in OPEC member Venezuela could disrupt oil shipments, following US President Donald Trump detained Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, even as global supply conditions remained ample.
Brent crude futures gained 17 cents to $60.92 a barrel by 0024 GMT, recovering from earlier declines, while US West Texas Intermediate crude rose 11 cents to $57.43 a barrel.
The United States detained Maduro in Caracas over the weekend, with Trump stating that Washington would assume control of the oil-producing nation and that the US embargo on Venezuelan oil would continue unabated.
Meanwhile, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, collectively known as OPEC+, agreed on Sunday to maintain current production levels.
Gold Prices
Spot gold gained over 1% in early trading hours on Monday, January 5, in the first reaction to the strikes. Gold posted its strongest annual rise in 46 years, surging to record levels last year amid a mix of drivers such as US interest rate cuts and geopolitical tensions. It was last trading at $4,400 an ounce.
US Dollar
The dollar began the first full trading week of the New Year on a strong note, climbing to a three-and-a-half-week high against the euro and a two-week peak versus the yen. Currency markets largely brushed aside the United States’ weekend operation in Venezuela and the capture of President Nicolas Maduro, instead turning their attention to key US macroeconomic data scheduled for release this week that could influence Federal Reserve policy decisions.
The greenback edged up 0.1% to $1.1704 per euro, after earlier touching $1.170025, its strongest level since December 11. It also rose 0.2% to 157.08 yen, having hit 157.255 earlier, the highest since December 22.
(With inputs from agencies)
