Stock market today: Indian equity benchmarks opened marginally higher on Thursday as investors assessed the US Federal Reserve’s decision to keep interest rates unchanged. However, elevated crude oil prices and continued concerns over foreign fund outflows kept sentiment cautious. The Sensex gained 159 points, or 0.2%, to 73,405.47, while the Nifty 50 advanced 46 points, or 0.2%, to 22,745.1.
The Fed maintained its policy rates on Wednesday, adopting a data-dependent approach as it continued to assess inflationary pressures. The US central bank said inflation remained elevated, leaving investors to monitor incoming economic data and the outlook for future rate decisions.
Meanwhile, expectations of a December 2026 rate hike remain in focus, alongside upcoming policy decisions from the European Central Bank and the Bank of Japan.
For Indian markets, high crude prices, elevated US bond yields and persistent foreign investor selling remain key headwinds. V K Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Investments Limited, said the Fed’s decision was mildly positive for global equities but noted that India continued to face external pressures.
“The 10-year US bond yield continues to hover around 5% and there are no signs of easing of the crude prices. Reports that the chip shortage issue will persist up to 2030 has brought interest back into the chip stocks and AI trade in South Korea and Taiwan," said V K Vijayakumar, Geojit Investments.