GIFT Nifty traded 0.17% higher during Friday’s early trading session at 19,326, indicating a positive opening for domestic indices NSE Nifty 50 and BSE Sensex. The equity benchmarks closed in the red on Thursday, erasing all morning gains. After touching an intraday high of 19,584.45, the NSE index crashed over 1% or 200 points to settle at 19,386.70. Sensex settled lower by 180 points at 65,252.34.
“The US market exhibited a positive trend as declining US PMI ignited hopes of a prolonged rate pause, calming US bond yields. Optimism in the domestic market was more visible in the IT sector, though sentiments were reversed in other major sectors, likely influenced by the prevailing global uncertainties. Despite this, mid- and small-cap stocks demonstrated resilience, and the decline in bond yields facilitated a resurgence in foreign investor buying momentum,” said Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Financial Services.
Asian Markets
MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan closed 1.5% higher, also lifted by Nvidia’s bullish outlook. Still, the index is down about 8% so far this month due to weakness in China’s economy and yuan, as well as some gloomy factory readings from Japan, which also left sentiment fragile. China stocks also rebounded on Thursday, however, with the blue-chip CSI300 index advancing 0.7%.
Crude Oil
Oil prices fell slightly in early Asian trade on Friday, on track for a weekly decline as weak manufacturing activity hurt the global demand outlook and the dollar remained buoyant.
FII/DII Data
Foreign institutional investors (FII) bought shares worth net Rs 1,524.87 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DII) bought shares worth net Rs 5,796.61 crore on 24 August, according to the provisional data available on the NSE.
F&O Ban
The National Stock Exchange has GMR Airports Infrastructure, GMR Airports Infrastructure, RBL Bank, Manappuram Finance, PNB, India Cements, Hindustan Copper, GNFC, BHEL, Delta Corp, GNFC, Metropolis Healthcare and Indiabulls Housing Finance securities on its F&O ban list for 25 August. According to the NSE, stocks are prohibited in the F&O sector when they have exceeded 95% of the market-wide position limit (MWPL). During the F&O ban period, no new positions are permitted for F&O contracts in that stock.
Bank Nifty Outlook
“The Bank Nifty index recently encountered selling pressure from elevated levels and is now displaying indications of range-bound trading. The range of movement seems to be established between 44,000 and 45,000, a zone where substantial put and call writing activities are evident. In the current scenario, the index’s immediate support lies at 44,200. If this support level is effectively maintained, the index could potentially experience a recovery, driving it towards levels of 44,800 and 45,000,” said Kunal Shah, Senior Technical & Derivative analyst at LKP Securities.
Technical View
“A long bear candle was formed on the daily chart, which indicates a formation of bearish engulfing type candle pattern (not a classical one). The crucial overhead resistance of down sloping trend line has turned out to be a false upside breakout on Thursday. This is a negative indication and signal a chance of Nifty sliding down to or break below the immediate support of 19300-19250 levels in the near term. Any attempt of upside bounce could find strong resistance around 19550 levels,” said Nagaraj Shetti, Technical Research Analyst, HDFC Securities.
Fed Chair Speech
Investors are now waiting for a speech by Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on Friday at a central bank summit in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, for clues on the U.S. interest rates outlook. Data earlier Thursday showed claims for U.S. unemployment benefits pointed to a still-strong jobs market, news that some say could support the Fed’s hawkish message of higher interest rates for longer. Investors also digested comments from Philadelphia Fed President Patrick Harker who said the Fed will need to keep rates restrictive for a while.