Indian Benchmark Indices to Open Positive as Gift Nifty Trades Higher; IT Stocks Likely to Bounce Back

On March 12, 2025, foreign institutional investors (FII) sold shares worth Rs 1,627.61 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DII) bought shares worth Rs 1,510.35 crore.

Pre-Market Update at 7:45 AM: Sensex and Nifty 50 are set for a positive opening on Thursday, taking cues from strong global market trends. Asian markets traded higher, while US indices closed mostly in the green, driven by a tech rally and easing inflation data. Gift Nifty hovered near the 22,585 mark, reflecting a premium of about 35 points over the previous close of Nifty futures. This suggests a likely positive opening for the Indian stock market indices.

The US stock market had a mixed close on Wednesday following inflation data that came in lower than expected. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 82.55 points (0.20 per cent) to settle at 41,350.93. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 advanced 27.23 points (0.49 per cent) to reach 5,599.30, and the Nasdaq Composite surged 212.36 points (1.22 per cent) to end at 17,648.45.

U.S. consumer prices saw a smaller-than-expected rise in February, with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increasing by 0.2 per cent, following a 0.5 per cent gain in January. On a yearly basis, CPI climbed 2.8 per cent through February, down from 3.0 per cent in January.

Russia stated that it would examine the details provided by Washington regarding a proposed 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine before giving a response. Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed hope that an agreement could be reached within a few days

India’s retail inflation dropped to a seven-month low in February, falling below the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) 4 per cent median target. Consumer Price Index (CPI)-based inflation stood at 3.61 per cent for the month, compared to 4.26 per cent in January. In contrast, headline inflation in February 2024 was recorded at 5.09 per cent.

India's Index of Industrial Production (IIP) recorded a 5.0 per cent growth in January, rising from 3.5 per cent in December 2024. In comparison, the IIP had expanded by 4.2 per cent in January 2024.

In the Asian markets, Japan’s Nikkei 225 index rose 0.09 per cent, while the Topix index rose 0.61 per cent. South Korea’s Kospi index rallied 0.61 per cent, while the Kosdaq gained 0.3 per cent. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index futures pointed to weakness.

Crude oil prices steadied, after the biggest gain in two weeks. Brent crude oil eased 0.08 per cent to USD 70.83 a barrel, while the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures jumped 0.04 per cent to USD 67.26.

The US dollar gained against major currencies including the yen and the euro on Wednesday. The dollar index was almost flat at 103.19, while USD/INR rose by 0.03 per cent to 87.14.

On March 12, 2025, foreign institutional investors (FII) sold shares worth Rs 1,627.61 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DII) bought shares worth Rs 1,510.35 crore.

Stocks that are banned for trading in the F&O segment on March 13, 2025, are Indusind Bank Ltd, Steel Authority of India Ltd, Hindustan Copper Ltd, BSE Ltd and Manappuram Finance Ltd.

Disclaimer: The article is for informational purposes only and not investment advice.