Indian benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty are likely to open higher on Friday, with GIFT Nifty signalling a positive start after Thursday's sharp selloff pushed the Nifty to its lowest level of 2026. However, weak Asian markets, elevated crude oil prices, rising global bond yields and persistent foreign institutional selling could limit the recovery. The RBI's recent interest-rate hike and continued pressure on the rupee are also weighing on sentiment.
GIFT Nifty was trading at 22,366 around 8 am, up 111 points, or 0.5 percent. Indian equities suffered heavy losses on Thursday, with the Sensex plunging 1,072 points to 71,566 and the Nifty declining 371 points to 22,232 after touching a fresh 2026 low of 22,180. Foreign institutional investors sold equities worth Rs 12,943.58 crore, while domestic institutions bought shares worth Rs 10,703.11 crore.
Asian equities declined on Friday and were headed for a second consecutive weekly loss as investors remained concerned about elevated energy prices, volatility in sovereign bond markets and the substantial funding requirements for artificial intelligence investments. Sentiment also weakened after a report that OpenAI's annualised revenue was $20 billion below what the company had previously indicated raised concerns over the outlook for AI-related investments.
Share Markets Live Updates | Sensex, Nifty, GIFT Nifty Today
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan slipped 0.16 percent and was on course for a weekly decline of more than 1 percent. Japan's Nikkei fell more than 1 percent, while markets in South Korea and Taiwan were closed for holidays.