Indian equity benchmark indices, the Sensex and Nifty, opened lower on Wednesday, April 30, 2026, amid weak global cues as Brent crude oil prices continued to climb amid the absence of any breakthrough in US-Iran talks, while the Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged. While the 30-share BSE Sensex plunged 482.15 points or 0.62 per cent to start the session at 77,014.21, the Nifty fell 180.7 points to open at 23,996.95. In the last trading session, the Sensex closed at 77,496.36 and the Nifty 50 at 24,177.65. Similarly, the broader indices traded in the red in the opening session. While the BSE Midcap Select Index shed 156.92 points, the BSE Smallcap Select Index fell 6.75 points or 0.08 per cent, to trade at 8,214.16.
From the Sensex pack, Bajaj Finance, Bajaj Finserv and ITC were in green with Bajaj Finance leading the pack by gaining 2.29 per cent in the early trade. On the other hand, Indigo Adani Ports, Axis Bank, M&M and Eternal were in the red with Indigo being the top loser by falling over 1.82 per cent. Meanwhile, Vedanta shares are in focus today as they trade ex-demerger today.
In early trade, market breadth was negative, with 1,586 stocks declining against 719 stocks advancing on the NSE. 108 stocks remained unchanged.
“We are of the view that the short-term trend is still in a positive zone, but a fresh uptrend rally is possible only after the index surpasses 24,215/77800 or the 50-day SMA (Simple Moving Average). Once this level is crossed, the market could retest the level of 24,315/78100. Further upside may also continue, potentially lifting the index to the 24,450-24,500/78500-78700 range. On the downside, if the index falls below 24,100/77200, market sentiment could turn negative. Below this level, the index could slip to the 23,900-23,850/76500-76300 range,” said Shrikant Chouhan, Head Equity Research, Kotak Securities.
What did Gift Nifty indicate?
Gift Nifty, an early indicator for the Nifty 50, indicated a gap-down to mildly negative start as it opened with a drop of 104.5 points at 24,151.50, compared to the previous close of 24,256. Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) extended their selling streak, offloading equities worth Rs 2,468.42 crore on April 29. However, Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) provided partial support by purchasing equities worth Rs 2,262.17 crore.
Asian Markets Today
Asian markets fell today, mirroring overnight declines on Wall Street as crude oil prices continued to climb. While Japan’s Nikkei 225 shed 729.46 points or 1.22 per cent to trade at 59,188, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was down by 386.84 points or 1.48 per cent. Similarly, South Korea’s Kospi traded in the red with a drop of 11.66 points at the time of writing the report. However, Shanghai’s SSE Composite index was up 3.51 points or 0.09 per cent.
(This article is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment, financial, or other advice.)
