Opening Bell - Morning Commentary

Wall Street Ends Mixed On Tuesday, Hopes of a Trade Deal with the US buoy Indian markets.

The Dow extended its strong upward move and the S&P 500 recovered from early weakness. The tech-heavy NASDAQ has slipped back to the downside.

The Dow surged more than 500 points, setting a new all-time closing high. Optimism grew as the Senate passed a bill to end the 42-day federal government shutdown, boosting confidence that the House would approve it this week.

A 3.1% slump in Nvidia shares weighed on the NASDAQ after SoftBank sold its entire stake in the chipmaker for more than $5 billion.

Gold climbed above $4,130 per ounce, near multi-week highs, as weak jobs data and low consumer sentiment fueled expectations for a December Fed rate cut. The prospect of the government reopening slightly reduces safe-haven demand.

Brent crude rose 1.6% to $65.09 per barrel, the highest since October 31, on the impact of the latest US sanctions on Russian oil and optimism over a potential end to the government shutdown.

The poll of exit polls suggests that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is set to retain power in Bihar.

U.S. President Donald Trump said tariffs on India will be lowered “very substantially”, signalling an easing of tensions over New Delhi's Russian oil purchases as the two countries near a trade deal.

Hopes for a US government reopening, prospects of a trade deal with the US, and optimism about falling global interest rates have buoyed investor sentiment.

The Nifty rose for the second consecutive session yesterday, gaining 120 points to close at 25,694. Nifty faces a crucial resistance near 25,800, and a decisive move beyond this level could negate the existing downtrend and open the door for further upside.

The Indian markets are expected to open higher, as risk-on sentiment is likely to get a boost after the US and India both sounded hopeful of reaching a deal soon.