Nifty 50 Rises 0.18%, Sensex Up 0.04% Ahead of US Fed Decision

Market Update at 10:30 AM: India’s equity benchmarks opened higher on Wednesday, tracking positive cues from Asian markets, as investors awaited the U.S. Federal Reserve’s policy decision later in the day.

The Nifty 50 rose 0.18 per cent to 25,982, while the BSE Sensex edged up 0.04 per cent to 84,663.68 as of 9:15 a.m. IST. All major sectors advanced at the open, reflecting broad market strength.

HDFC Asset Management Company and Nippon Life India Asset Management dropped about 4.5 per cent each, among the top five losers on Nifty 500.

India's markets regulator on Tuesday proposed measures to simplify Mutual Fund fee structure, including a plan to discontinue the 5 basis points charge that mutual funds impose on Equity Funds where exit load is levied.

Blue Dart Express jumped 10.7 per cent after posting a 29.5 per cent rise in the September-quarter profit.

Pre-Market Update at 7:40 AM: Sensex and Nifty 50 are likely to begin Wednesday’s session on a positive note, taking cues from global market strength ahead of the US Federal Reserve’s policy decision. The GIFT Nifty signaled a modest uptick of 16 points, trading at 26,140 around 7:20 AM, suggesting a mildly positive opening for domestic markets.

India’s factory output, as measured by the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), increased by 4 per cent in September, compared to a 3.2 per cent rise in the same month last year. The revised figure for August 2025 now stands at 4.1 per cent, slightly higher than the initial estimate. 

Asian markets opened higher in early trade, mirroring gains from Wall Street, where all three major US indices ended at new record highs.

Foreign Institutional Investors continued their buying streak on Tuesday, adding equities worth Rs 10,339.80 crore. Domestic Institutional Investors also maintained their positive stance, investing Rs 1,081.55 crore — marking their fourth straight day of net purchases.

On Tuesday, benchmark indices closed marginally lower, weighed down by weakness in ICICI Bank and Mahindra & Mahindra. The Nifty 50 slipped 29.85 points or 0.11 per cent to end at 25,936.20, while the Sensex declined 150.69 points or 0.18 per cent to 84,628.16. The India VIX inched up by 0.8 per cent. Despite the mild correction, the Nifty remains about 1.3 per cent below its September 2024 high after a recent 3.3 per cent rise across nine sessions.

Among sectoral indices, Nifty Metal gained 1.23 per cent following renewed optimism after the US and China reached a new trade understanding. Broader markets were mixed, with Midcap and Smallcap indices showing limited activity.

In the US, the Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 161.78 points or 0.34 per cent to 47,706.37, the S&P 500 rose 0.23 per cent to 6,890.89, and the Nasdaq Composite jumped 0.8 per cent to 23,827.49. The Federal Reserve’s meeting, chaired by Jerome Powell, commenced on October 28, with markets widely expecting a 25-basis-point rate cut.

In global developments, Israel conducted airstrikes on Gaza following allegations that Hamas breached a ceasefire, leading to at least 26 deaths. The US dollar remained stable, with the Dollar Index holding near 98.68. Gold prices edged up 0.7 per cent to USD 3,977.49 per ounce ahead of the Fed’s rate decision, while on the MCX, gold futures fell 1.08 per cent to Rs 1,19,646 per 10 grams. Crude oil prices were slightly higher, with Brent trading at USD 64.55 per barrel and WTI futures at USD 60.29 per barrel.

For today, Samaan Capital will remain on the F&O ban list.

Disclaimer: The article is for informational purposes only and not investment advice.