BT Opening Bell | Sensex rises 123 pts, Nifty above 24,200; ITC, NTPC lead gainers

Domestic benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty opened flat on Friday amid rising hopes for de-escalation in the US-Iran war, supported by buying in index heavyweights such as ITC, Trent and Adani Ports  

At 9:18 am, the BSE Sensex gained 123.84 points, or 0.16%, to 78,112.52. The NSE Nifty rose 0.08 points, or19.80%, to 24,216.55, briefly touching a high of 24,224.85.

Among Sensex constituents, ITC jumped 2.03% to Rs 309.60. NTPC advanced 1.31%, while Trent, Adani Ports and Tech Mahindra climbed 1%, 0.69% and 0.57%, respectively.

“Given the prevailing global uncertainties and elevated market volatility, a cautious and selective investment approach is advisable. Investors may consider accumulating fundamentally strong stocks during market corrections,” said Hitesh Tailor, Research Analyst, Choice Equity Broking Private Limited.

Broader Asian markets traded lower today. Japan’s Nikkei 225 declined 0.99% to 58,930.87, while South Korea’s Kospi was down 0.61% to 6,187.88, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dropped 1.34% to 26,039.64. 

“Initiating fresh long positions should ideally be deferred until the Nifty decisively breaks above and sustains the 24,500 level, which would signal improved sentiment and the potential for a more sustained bullish trend," Tailor added.

Wall Street ended higher overnight, with all three major indices closing in the green. The S&P 500 edged up 0.26% to end at 7,041.28, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.24% to settle at 48,578.72. The Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.39% to close at 24,102.70.

"The resilience of the mother market US and positive news relating to ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon bode well for the market. However, President Trump’s bravado has to taken lightly, going by his track record of total inconsistency. Investors should be guided by actions rather than words,” said VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Limited.

“In the near-term, therefore, the broader market may do better aided by the fund flows and retail buying in the segment. However, the prospects of largecaps are better in the medium to long-term. Investors should monitor Q4 results and management commentary to pick stocks in this results season," Vijayakumar added.

In the previous session on Thursday, the Sensex declined 122.56 points, or 0.16%, to settle at 77,988.68, while the Nifty edged down 34.55 points, or 0.14%, to close at 24,196.75.