D-St set for a positive opening as GIFT Nifty signals firm start

Equities ended higher on Thursday, with the Nifty gaining 0.5% to close at 24,175. Analysts say Indian equity markets are likely to witness a gradual upmove on the back of positive global cues. Central banks in both India and the US remain focused on containing inflation, supporting overall market sentiment. Further, pre-quarterly business updates are likely to drive stock-specific action.

STATE OF THE MARKETS
GIFT Nifty (Earlier SGX Nifty) signals a positive start
GIFT Nifty on the NSE IX traded higher by 171.5 points, or 0.71 per cent, at 24,429, signaling that Dalal Street was headed for a positive start on Friday.

• Tech View: In the near term, the trend is likely to remain positive, with the index having the potential to advance towards 24,300–24,500. On the downside, immediate support is placed at 24,000. A breach below this level could drag the index back into a phase of consolidation.
• India VIX: India VIX, which is a measure of the fear in the markets, fell 7.2% to settle at 12.29 levels.

Nasdaq ends lower
The Nasdaq ended lower on Thursday as technology shares fell, while a softer-than-expected U.S. jobs report eased worries that the Federal Reserve could feel impelled to hike interest rates soon.

Asian stocks fall
Asian stocks fell, putting the regional benchmark on track for a second straight weekly decline as concerns mounted that the artificial intelligence-fueled rally has run ahead of itself.

• S&P 500 futures were little changed as of 9:42 a.m. Tokyo time
• Hang Seng futures were little changed
• Japan’s Topix was little changed
• Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.7%
• Euro Stoxx 50 futures were little changed

Gold rises
Gold rose on Friday and was headed for its first weekly gain in five, as investors dialled back expectations of Federal Reserve interest rate hikes following softer-than-expected U.S. jobs data.

Stocks in F&O ban today

1) NIL

Securities in the ban period under the F&O segment include companies in which the security has crossed 95% of the market-wide position limit.

Rupee
The Indian rupee fell to a near three-week low on Wednesday, tracking declines in Asian currencies as investors turned cautious ahead of remarks from the US Federal Reserve chair and uncertainty over U.S.-Iran negotiations.

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