Equity Markets Experience Early Trade Gains Followed by Volatility Amid Derivatives Expiry and Global Cautiousness

During early trade on Thursday, equity benchmark indices showed promise with the BSE Sensex gaining 93.51 points to reach 72,398.39, while the Nifty rose by 12.55 points to 21,963.70. However, later in the session, market trends became volatile against a backdrop of sluggish global cues and the impending monthly derivatives expiry.

Key gainers among the Sensex firms included Reliance Industries, Maruti, Titan, Mahindra & Mahindra, IndusInd Bank, and State Bank of India. Conversely, Hindustan Unilever, Power Grid, Axis Bank, and Kotak Mahindra Bank were among the laggards.

In Asian markets, Seoul, Tokyo, and Hong Kong observed declines, whereas Shanghai reported gains. Meanwhile, the US markets closed marginally lower on Wednesday.

Also read: Equity Investors Shed Rs 6 Lakh Crore As Markets Tumble

According to exchange data, Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth Rs 1,879.23 crore on Wednesday.

On the previous trading day, the BSE benchmark witnessed a decline of 790.34 points or 1.08 percent, settling at 72,304.88, while the Nifty slumped 247.20 points or 1.11 percent to settle at 21,951.15.

“The market has suddenly turned unpredictable amidst high volatility. The volatility will continue today, too, being the last day of the monthly expiry,” V K Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services, remarked.

In the global scenario, the Brent crude oil benchmark experienced a decline of 0.17 percent, reaching USD 83.54 a barrel.