Benchmark equity indices opened almost flat on Friday after heavy losses in the previous trading session.
Stocks to watch
Sensex Today: BSE and NSE benchmark indices rose after a flat opening on Friday. The market gained mainly from healthcare stocks and Adani Group shares.
As of the latest update, the BSE Sensex is up over 650 points, hovering around the 79,700 mark, while the NSE Nifty is trading near the 24,100 level.
After yesterday’s sharp sell-off, investors are likely to remain bullish in today’s trading session, with the focus on GDP numbers and Asian markets. On Thursday, the Sensex and Nifty fell as much as 1.5 percent each amid concerns over the expiration of monthly F&O and Russia’s widespread attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
BSE announces new expiry date for derivatives contracts.
The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) has announced a change in the expiry date for its key weekly and monthly derivative contracts, including the Sensex, Bankex, and Sensex 50. From January 1, 2025, the expiry date will shift from Friday to Tuesday. As per the current schedule, the November series of Sensex contracts will expire today.
Additionally, in a major development for the markets, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has proposed implementing interoperability across stock exchanges for various segments, including cash, derivatives, currency, and interest rate derivatives. . The change is expected to take effect from April 1, 2025.
Global market indicators
Asian markets were lower on Friday, with the yen on track for its best weekly performance in four months, supported by strong inflation data that led traders to expect a rate cut by the Bank of Japan. It is expected to increase rapidly.
Japan’s Nikkei fell 0.7 percent as the yen strengthened after the release of Tokyo inflation data. Core consumer prices in the Japanese capital rose in November, exceeding the Bank of Japan’s 2% target, signaling a broadening of price pressures. The U.S. dollar fell 0.9% to 150.17 yen, a 3% weekly loss — the biggest since late July.
In other Asian markets, the Kospi fell 1.7 percent, while Taiwan and the Hang Seng index each lost about 0.3 percent. However, China’s Shanghai Composite saw a modest increase of 0.2 percent.
US markets were closed for the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday, but trading will resume with a short session tonight.