The Indian stock market benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty 50, are expected to open higher on Thursday, following a rally in global markets, amid reports of secret diplomatic outreach from Iran for talks on ending the war.
Asian markets surged, while the US stock market ended higher overnight, led by gains in technology stocks.
On Wednesday, the Indian stock market extended its slump as escalating US-Israel clashes with Iran lifted oil prices to a 19-month high, and stoked fears of a prolonged conflict.
The Sensex crashed 1,122.66 points, or 1.40%, to close at 79,116.19, while the Nifty 50 settled 385.20 points, or 1.55%, lower at 24,480.50.
“Markets are likely to be guided by developments in the West Asia conflict, movements in global crude oil prices, and evolving global risk sentiment, which will be closely monitored for further directional cues,” said Siddhartha Khemka – Head of Research, Wealth Management, Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd.
Here are key global market cues for Sensex today:
Asian Markets
Asian markets traded higher on Thursday, rebounding after several days of steep losses, following overnight gains on Wall Street. Japan’s Nikkei 225 rallied 4% and the Topix gained 3.63%. South Korea’s Kospi jumped over 12% and Kosdaq surged more than 11%. Hong Kong Hang Seng index futures indicated a higher opening.
Gift Nifty Today
Gift Nifty was trading around 24,740 level, a premium of nearly 156 points from the Nifty futures’ previous close, indicating a positive start for the Indian stock market indices.
wall street
US stock market ended higher on Wednesday, led by technology stocks.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 238.14 points, or 0.49%, to 48,739.41, while the S&P 500 rallied 52.87 points, or 0.78%, to 6,869.50. The Nasdaq Composite closed 290.79 points, or 1.29%, higher at 22,807.48.
Nvidia stock price gained 1.66%, AMD shares jumped 5.82%, Microsoft shares rose 0.31%, Apple stock price fell 0.47%, Amazon shares rallied 3.88%, and Tesla stock price surged 3.44%. Exxon Mobil shares declined 1.3%, ConocoPhillips share price slipped 2.42%, while Moderna shares advanced 16%.
US-Israel-Iran War
The Middle East war has reached a critical tipping point as the United States and Israel intensify their joint military campaign against Iranian power structures. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the sinking of an Iranian warship in international waters, marking a significant escalation.
US Private Payrolls
US private payrolls increased by the most in seven months in February, the ADP’s national employment report showed. Private employment rose by 63,000 jobs last month, the largest gain since July 2025, after a downwardly revised 11,000 increase in January. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast private employment would rise by 50,000 jobs after a previously reported gain of 22,000 in January.
China Growth Target
China set its economic growth target for 2026 at 4.5%-5%, a slight downgrade from the 5% pace achieved last year, and the least ambitious expansion target since 1991. The budget deficit will stay at around 4% of gross domestic product (GDP) this year, unchanged from the record set in 2025, according to an annual work report seen by Bloomberg.
US Fed Chair
US President Donald Trump officially nominated Kevin Warsh to be the next chairman of the Federal Reserve. If confirmed by the Senate, Warsh will replace current Fed chair Jerome Powell for a four-year term.
dollars
The dollar halted its blistering rally. The dollar index stood at 98.78 against a basket of currencies, easing from an over three-month high hit earlier this week. The euro was up marginally at $1.1636, while sterling steady at $1.3366. The yen rose 0.2% to 156.78 per dollar, and the offshore yuan was up 0.12% at 6.8860 per dollar.
Gold Rate Today
Gold prices rose as the dollar declined and the war in the Middle East entered a sixth day with no sign of resolution. Spot gold price gained 0.5% to $5,164.57 an ounce, while silver price rose 0.5% to $83.98 an ounce.
Crude Oil Prices
Crude oil prices rose amid persistent worries about supplies because of the Middle East conflict. Brent crude oil price jumped 2.38% to $83.34 a barrel, while the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rallied 2.60% to $76.60 a barrel.
(With inputs from agencies)
