Indian benchmark equity indices opened on a firm note on Friday, tracking positive global cues, though they are poised to wrap up the week in the red for a third consecutive session.
At around 9:20 AM,
the BSE Sensex was trading at 84,866.06, up 384.25 points, or 0.45 per cent. The NSE Nifty 50 was quoted at 25,926.90, gaining 104 points, or 0.4 per cent.
Investors are tracking a host of key global data points, including UK retail sales, the ECB wage tracker from the Eurozone, and the US Federal Reserve’s balance sheet data. On the domestic front, market participants are awaiting the Reserve Bank of India’s MPC meeting minutes and the latest foreign exchange reserves data.
Global cues
Asia-Pacific markets advanced on Friday as investors awaited the Bank of Japan’s policy decision due later in the day. The central bank is widely expected to raise interest rates to 0.75 per cent—the highest level since 1995—with LSEG data showing an 86.4 per cent probability of a hike. Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 0.56 per cent, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.52 per cent in early trade, while South Korea’s Kospi climbed 0.68 per cent.
Overnight, Wall Street ended higher. The broader S&P 500 snapped a four-day losing streak on Thursday, rising 0.79 per cent. The gains were driven by softer-than-expected inflation data, which bolstered expectations of potential interest rate cuts in 2026, along with strong guidance from chipmaker Micron Technology. The Nasdaq Composite jumped 1.38 per cent, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up 0.14 per cent.
