Sensex Climbs; FMCG Stocks Lag

• Sensex, Nifty50 rise in early trade; auto, metal stocks support amid mixed global cues.
• Asia-Pacific markets mixed; Kospi hits record high. Singapore GDP expands strongly.
• US stocks end lower; S&P 500 down 0.74%, Nasdaq falls 0.76%. Solid US gains in 2025.

Sensex Today: Indian equity benchmarks inched up in early trade on Friday, with auto and metal stocks lending support amid mixed global signals.

As of 9:45 AM, the Nifty50 was at 26,246.90, up 0.38 per cent or 100.35 points, or the Sensex was at 85,523.28, higher by 0.39 per cent or 334.68 points.

Market sentiment through the day is likely to be guided by

the final December manufacturing PMI data for India and the US, along with India’s forex data for the week ended December 26, 2025.

Global cues

Asia-Pacific markets began the new year on a mixed note on Friday, but turned positive later, with South Korea’s Kospi scaling a fresh record high. The benchmark index rose 0.21 per cent after touching an all-time high of 4,239.88, while the small-cap Kosdaq outperformed, gaining 1.32 per cent. Several Asian markets, including Japan and mainland China, remained shut for holidays.

Australia’s ASX 200 was trading 0.11 per cent higher. Singapore reported stronger-than-expected economic growth, with GDP expanding 5.7 per cent Y-o-Y in the fourth quarter, led by robust manufacturing activity. This marked an acceleration from the revised 4.3 per cent growth recorded in the previous quarter.

US stock futures edged higher during early Asian hours. Overnight on Wall Street, equities ended lower, with the S&P 500 slipping 0.74 per cent, the Nasdaq Composite falling 0.76 per cent, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average declining 0.63 per cent. Despite the pullback, US benchmarks closed 2025 with solid gains.