Indian Stock Market Today: Key Cues Before Trade, Lat Day Ahead of Union Budget 2026
The Indian stock market is set to begin trading on Friday as investors assess global market trends and prepare for the upcoming Union Budget 2026.
Dalal Street maintained its positive momentum for the third consecutive session, supported by the Economic Survey’s optimistic outlook on India’s growth potential despite global economic uncertainty. The Sensex rose 222 points to 82,566, while the Nifty 50 gained 76 points to reach 25,419.
What comes next? Markets are likely to remain range-bound, with stock-specific movements coming into focus as Budget Day draws closer. For now, it’s a time to watch the cues and keep emotions in check.
What Will Shape The Stock Market Today?
Gift Nifty – Early Market Signal
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Level: 25,435–25,464
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Trend: Discount of 71–101 points vs Nifty futures
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Indication: Weak to negative opening for Indian indices
Asian Markets
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Japan (Nikkei 225): +0.25%
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Japan (Topix): +0.58%
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South Korea (Kospi): +1.23%
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South Korea (Kosdaq): +0.99%
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Hong Kong (Hang Seng Futures): Indicated a lower opening
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Key Trigger: US President Donald Trump to announce next Federal Reserve Chair pick
Wall Street Overnight
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Dow Jones: +55.96 points (+0.11%) at 49,071.56
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S&P 500: −9.02 points (−0.13%) at 6,969.01
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Nasdaq Composite: −172.33 points (−0.72%) at 23,685.12
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Trend: Selling pressure in technology stocks
- Major US Stock Moves (Technology)
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Microsoft: −10%
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Tesla: −3.45%
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Salesforce: −6.09%
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Datadog: −8.8%
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Apple: +0.72%
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Nvidia: +0.52%
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US Economic Data
Jobless Claims
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Initial Claims: 209,000 (down 1,000 WoW)
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Market Expectation: 205,000
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Takeaway: Labour market remains stable
Commodities
Precious Metals
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Gold: +1.3% at $5,447.18/oz
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Silver: +2.4% at $118.43/oz
Crude Oil
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Brent: −0.10% at $70.64 per barrel
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WTI: −0.32% at $65.22 per barrel
Currencies
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Dollar Index: 96.35 (+0.2%)
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Euro: $1.194
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Japanese Yen: 153.39 per dollar
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British Pound: $1.3791
Key Global Events That Will Shape The Stock Market Today
Russia–Ukraine
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What happened: US President Donald Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to pause attacks on Kyiv for a week.
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Why it matters: The temporary restraint is linked to extreme cold conditions, offering brief geopolitical relief, but not a long-term ceasefire.
US Government Shutdown
The current US government shutdown threat has been pushed back for now, easing concerns across financial markets. According to Bloomberg, President Donald Trump and Senate Democrats have reached a temporary agreement, ending a political standoff that could have unsettled investors. While it may be too early to celebrate—the deal still needs to hold—the immediate risk has been avoided.
This development removes one item from an already long list of market worries. With Washington stepping away from crisis mode, investors can refocus on key economic data, central bank signals, and corporate earnings. The shutdown clock is still ticking, but for the moment, it’s doing so quietly.
Apple Q2 Earnings
- Big picture: Apple delivered record December-quarter results, beating expectations.
- Revenue: $143.8 billion, up 16% year-on-year
- Net profit: $42.1 billion
- Gross margin: 48.2%, highlighting strong pricing power
What’s next:
- Revenue growth outlook (Q2 FY26): 13–16%
- Gross margin guidance: 48–49%
- Takeaway: Apple’s outlook signals resilient demand and steady margins, even amid global uncertainty.
Stock Market Outlook Today
Sensex Outlook & Levels
The Sensex continues to show an upward trend, indicating that the market remains on a positive trajectory. Shrikant Chouhan of Kotak Securities identifies 82,200 and 81,700 as key support levels, while 82,800 serves as the immediate hurdle. A breakout above this level could push the index towards 83,100–83,300; however, the trend may weaken if the Sensex falls below 81,700.
Nifty 50 Outlook
The Nifty 50 formed a bullish candle with a long lower shadow, reflecting strong buying interest near the 200-day EMA. Immediate support is placed at 25,300, while 25,500–25,600 remains a key resistance zone. OI data suggests a range-bound market until a decisive breakout, which could open the door to 25,800–26,000 levels.
Aishwarya is a journalism graduate with over three years of experience thriving in the buzzing corporate media world. She’s got a knack for decoding business news, tracking the twists and turns of the stock market, covering the masala of the entertainment world, and sometimes her stories come with just the right sprinkle of political commentary. She has worked with several organizations, interned at ZEE and gained professional skills at TV9 and News24, And now is learning and writing at NewsX, she’s no stranger to the newsroom hustle. Her storytelling style is fast-paced, creative, and perfectly tailored to connect with both the platform and its audience. Moto: Approaching every story from the reader’s point of view, backing up her insights with solid facts.
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