Top things you must know before the market opens!

The GIFT Nifty is indicating a gap down start for the day. Nifty futures were trading at 24,269.90.

Pre-Market Update at 8:35 AM: US stocks saw a sharp decline on Wednesday, with major indexes posting their biggest drops in months. This followed the Federal Reserve’s 25 basis point rate cut to the 4.25 to 4.50 per cent range and a cautious outlook for future cuts, projecting just a half-point reduction by the end of 2025 due to a strong labor market and slow inflation progress.

The Dow Jones fell 1,123.03 points (2.58 per cent) to 42,326.87, the S&P 500 dropped 178.45 points (2.95 per cent) to 5,872.16, and the Nasdaq lost 716.37 points (3.56 per cent) to 19,392.69.

The GIFT Nifty is indicating a gap down start for the day. Nifty futures were trading at 24,269.90.

The U.S. 10-year Treasury yield stands at 4.512 per cent, while the 2-year bond yield at 4.344 per cent.

Brent crude fell below $73 and WTI dropped under $70 per barrel on Thursday, pressured by a stronger US dollar after the Fed signaled fewer rate cuts ahead. Concerns over fuel demand offset support from a 1 million barrel drop in US crude stocks and Kazakhstan’s compliance with OPEC+ cuts. High output from non-OPEC+ nations like the US and Canada added to the bearish outlook.

On December 18 2024, foreign institutional investors (FII) sold shares worth Rs 1,316 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DII) bought shares worth Rs 4,084 crore.

Stocks that are banned for trading in the F&O segment on December 19, 2024, are BANDHANBNK, CHAMBLFERT, GRANULES, HINDCOPPER, MANAPPURAM, NATIONALUM, NMDC, PVRINOX, RBLBANK, SAIL.

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