GIFT Nifty:

The GIFT Nifty October futures contract is down 25.50 points, suggesting a negative start for the Nifty 50.

Institutional Flows:

Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares worth Rs 5,062.45 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net buyers to the tune of Rs 3,620.47 crore in the Indian equity market on 23 October 2024, provisional data showed.

According to NSDL data, FPIs have sold shares worth over Rs 98085.91 crore (so far) in the secondary market during October 2024. This follows their purchase of shares worth Rs 46,552.40 crore in September 2024.

Global Markets:

Most Asian stocks rose on Friday, mirroring a slightly positive close on Wall Street. However, Japanese shares declined in anticipation of a hotly contested general election this Sunday. Concerns about potential currency market intervention by the Japanese government, as the yen approached three-month lows, also weighed on sentiment.

Soft inflation data further pressured the yen. The October headline Tokyo Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 1.8% year-over-year (YoY), compared to 2.2% in the previous month, according to the Statistics Bureau of Japan.

U.S. equities were mixed on Thursday as investors prepared for a series of major tech earnings reports. Rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, with Israel threatening a strike against Iran, also dampened risk appetite. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.33%, while the S&P 500 rose 0.21%, and the NASDAQ Composite gained 0.76%.

Tesla led the broader market index, surging nearly 22% after reporting third-quarter results that exceeded expectations. This marked its best day since 2013. Whirlpool and UPS also climbed after posting strong results.

IBM dragged down the Dow, falling over 6% as its consulting revenue narrowly missed estimates. Boeing slipped 1.2% after its machinists rejected a new labor contract.

Domestic Market:

The benchmark equity indices closed slightly lower on Thursday, extending their losing streak to four sessions. Despite volatile trading due to F&O expiry, the Nifty managed to close near the 24,400 mark. Banks and pharma shares were in demand, while FMCG and realty shares tumbled. The market's resilience was partly supported by India's strong October PMI data, which aligned with the RBI's growth outlook for FY25. The S&P BSE Sensex shed 16.82 points or 0.02% to 80,065.16. The Nifty 50 index lost 36.10 points or 0.15% to 24,399.40. The 50-unit index fell 1.83% in the past three sessions.