Markets will react to macro numbers amid positive global cues

Today, the markets are likely to make a positive opening after the US markets gained in overnight trade. Traders will now look forward to the IT major Infosys, which will declare its March quarter results today. Additionally, traders will react to the macroeconomic data which was released post market hours on Thursday. The CPI inflation for the month of March 2018 came in lower at 4.28% compared to 4.45% in the month of February, while the IIP growth for the month of February came in at 7.1% and the good news was that manufacturing continues to grow at 8.7%. The SGX Nifty is pointing that Nifty may open at 10,482.  

Asian shares are buoyed in early Friday trade as the recent worries of the investors over geopolitical tensions abated. Japan’s benchmark index Nikkei 225 has advanced 101 points; Hong Kong’s Hang Seng has added 35 points and China’s Shanghai Composite has risen 8 points.  

Back home, benchmark indices ended the session in the green on Thursday extending their run for the sixth consecutive day. The BSE Sensex gained 161 points to finish at 34,101 and Nifty index rose by 42 points to close at 10,459. The broader indices ended the day in the negative terrain as Nifty Mid-cap and Small-cap index slipped 0.31% and 0.46%, respectively. Sector-wise, Nifty IT surged more than 3% on the back of better result expectations and the weakening of rupee beyond the Rs 65 per dollar mark, while Nifty Realty lost 1.92%.   

The US stocks ended Thursday session with solid gains as geopolitical concerns appeared to fade after President Donald Trump tweeted that ‘Never said when an attack on Syria would take place. Could be very soon or not so soon at all!’ The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 294 points to 24,483, the Nasdaq Composite Index gained 71 points to 7,140 and the S&P 500 climbed 22 points to 2,664. Going ahead, the focus will now to earnings, which will kick off on Friday.  

The European indices ended in the positive territory on Thursday as President Donald Trump comments eased concerns about an attack on Syria and as earnings season kicked off. British hedge fund Man Group surged 8% on earning news.  The DAX of Germany gained 0.98%, CAC 40 of France added 0.59% and the FTSE 100 of UK ended higher by 0.02%.