Indian Benchmark Indices Open Higher Amid US-India Trade Deal Hopes; Sensex Rises Over 200 Points

In early trade, the BSE Sensex was up by 203 points (0.24 per cent) at 83,612, while the Nifty50 rose 55 points (0.22 per cent) to hover around 25,509.

Market Update at 9:30 AM: Indian stock markets opened on a positive note on Thursday, reflecting cautious optimism amid speculation that India and the U.S. may soon finalise a trade agreement to avert proposed tariffs by President Donald Trump.

In early trade, the BSE Sensex was up by 203 points (0.24 per cent) at 83,612, while the Nifty50 rose 55 points (0.22 per cent) to hover around 25,509.

On the Sensex, leading gainers included Asian Paints, Eternal, Tata Steel, M&M, Infosys, ICICI Bank, Tech Mahindra, and Maruti Suzuki. In contrast, Bajaj Finance, Bajaj Finserv, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Trent, BEL, and Titan were among the top laggards.

Midcap and smallcap stocks also saw buying interest, with the Nifty MidCap and SmallCap indices inching up by 0.3 per cent each.

Sector-wise, Nifty IT and Nifty Metal led the gains with 0.6 per cent advances each, while the Nifty PSU Bank index was the biggest sectoral drag, falling 0.54 per cent.

Pre-Market Update at 7:45 AM: Domestic equity markets are expected to begin Thursday, July 3, on a stronger note, drawing support from upbeat global cues and renewed optimism over a potential trade understanding between India and the United States.

At 7:21 AM, the GIFT Nifty was trading around 25,572 — up 41 points from the previous session — indicating a likely positive opening for the Nifty 50.

Asian equities showed mixed performance, while U.S. indices closed mostly in the green. The Nasdaq and S&P 500 scaled fresh all-time highs, reflecting positive sentiment in global markets.

Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) continued their buying streak for a third straight session, whereas Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) remained net sellers. On July 2, FIIs offloaded shares worth Rs 1,561.62 crore, while DIIs made purchases totalling Rs 3,036.68 crore.

Indian benchmarks closed marginally lower on Wednesday as participants chose to book profits, particularly in financial stocks, even as hopes grew around a bilateral trade deal with the U.S. Market sentiment remained cautious ahead of final details of the agreement, which may avert a proposed 26 per cent retaliatory duty on Indian exports to the U.S. The Sensex shed 287.60 points to close at 83,409.69, while the Nifty 50 declined by 88.40 points to settle at 25,453.40.

Asian shares were largely steady in early trade as investors awaited U.S. jobs data. The rally on Wall Street — buoyed by President Trump’s announcement of a trade pact with Vietnam — lent some strength to regional sentiment.

U.S. equities ended higher on Wednesday, led by gains in technology stocks and optimism around the newly announced U.S.-Vietnam trade agreement. The S&P 500 rose 29.41 points to finish at 6,227.42, while the Nasdaq gained 190.24 points to close at 20,393.13 — both marking record highs. However, the Dow slipped slightly by 10.52 points to end at 44,484.42. On the NYSE, 358 stocks touched new 52-week highs compared to 41 new lows.

President Trump confirmed a trade pact with Vietnam, slashing tariffs on Vietnamese imports to 20 per cent from a proposed 46 per cent. In exchange, U.S. exports will face no import duties when entering Vietnam.

According to ADP, the U.S. private sector saw an unexpected drop of 33,000 jobs in June — its first decline in over two years. This contrasts with a revised gain of 29,000 jobs in May, and it missed forecasts that had expected a 95,000 increase.

Gold Prices softened in early Asian trade as optimism over global trade deals reduced demand for safe-haven assets. Spot gold held steady at USD 3,344.99 per ounce.

Crude Oil prices moved lower after U.S. inventory data revealed a surprising rise in crude stockpiles. Brent Crude was down 0.80 per cent at USD 68.215, while WTI Crude dropped 0.75 per cent to USD 66.035.

For today, RBL Bank remain on the F&O ban list.

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