Markets Open Flat As Sensex, Nifty Trade With Mild Negative Bias

Mumbai witnessed a cautious start to the trading session on Wednesday as the Sensex and Nifty indices traded flat with a mild negative bias.

Investors reacted to sustained foreign institutional investor (FII) outflows and fears over disruptions to Iranian crude exports.

At 9:25 AM, the Sensex slipped 74 points, or 0.09 per cent, to 83,552, while the Nifty eased 12 points, or 0.05 per cent, to 25,719.

Broader indices showed mixed performance, with the Nifty Midcap 100 remaining unchanged and the Nifty Smallcap 100 rising 0.48 per cent.

ONGC, Coal India, and NTPC led the gainers on the Nifty, while sectoral indices traded mixed. Notably, Nifty Metal and Oil & Gas advanced 0.84 per cent and 0.32 per cent, respectively, reflecting renewed interest in energy and industrial stocks.

Oil prices jumped 2.8 per cent to a seven-week high amid escalating tensions in Iran, driven by nationwide anti-government protests and US President Donald Trump’s vocal support for demonstrators.

Analysts noted that rising crude prices could influence inflationary pressures and investor sentiment in the near term.

Market experts indicated immediate support for Nifty lies in the 25,550–25,600 zone, while resistance is expected around 25,850–25,900 points.

Asian Markets Trade Mixed

Asian markets traded mixed during Wednesday’s morning session as investors digested China’s December export data, which beat expectations.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 surged over 1.5 per cent following speculation that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi may call a snap election in February.

In China, the Shanghai Composite rose 1.2 per cent, and Shenzhen added 1.98 per cent. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index gained 0.8 per cent, while South Korea’s Kospi inched up 0.17 per cent.

US markets ended mostly lower overnight, with the Nasdaq losing 0.1 per cent, the S&P 500 down 0.19 per cent, and the Dow Jones declining 0.8 per cent.

On January 13, FIIs sold net equities worth Rs 1,500 crore. In contrast, domestic institutional investors (DIIs) emerged as net buyers, acquiring equities valued at Rs 1,182 crore.

The combination of FII outflows, rising crude prices, and global market cues contributed to a subdued start for India’s equity markets, with investors remaining watchful of geopolitical developments and domestic liquidity trends.

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