Nifty Edges Up, Sensex Soars At Pre-Open Pointing To Positive Start For Benchmarks

Mumbai, October 5: Indian shares rose at pre open signalling a positive start for benchmarks as reduced bets of a rate hike by the US Federal Reserve lifted sentiment. 

Nifty 50 rose 0.2% while Sensex advanced 0.8% at pre open.  

Indian equities ended last week on a weak footing, with both the Nifty 50 and Sensex extending their weekly losing runs to eight weeks, their longest weekly losing streak in 25 years. Persistent foreign outflows, a surge in crude oil prices and higher global bond yields weighed on equities, keeping investors cautious and putting emerging-market assets under pressure. 

Sentiment received a boost at the start of the new week after US employment data came in weaker than expected. The softer labour-market reading lowered the odds of a Federal Reserve rate hike this month, easing concerns over tighter global financial conditions and prompting investors to return to riskier assets.  

Foreign selling remained a key drag on Indian equities, with FPIs extending their net-selling streak to six sessions on Thursday. Provisional NSE data showed that FPIs sold shares worth Rs 9,484 crore, while domestic institutional investors provided a counterbalance, buying equities worth Rs 10,042 crore.  

Among individual stocks, HDFC Bank is likely to remain in focus after the private sector lender appointed Anup Bagchi as its next CEO for a three-year term. Bagchi, who currently heads ICICI Prudential Life Insurance as MD and CEO, will be the first outsider to take charge of HDFC Bank.  

Bajaj Finance reported an 11% year-on-year increase in new loans booked during the September quarter, while assets under management and its customer base also expanded as of September 30, 2026.  

Shares of the D-Mart operator could be in focus after Avenue Supermarts reported an 18.4% year-on-year increase in standalone revenue for the September quarter.  

Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles said wholesale volumes at its Jaguar Land Rover unit rose 24.5% year-on-year in the September quarter, although retail sales declined 7.5%.  

Gland Pharma approved a $21 million investment in its US subsidiary, adding to its presence in the American market. 

Asian Markets 

Asian markets traded mostly higher on Monday, taking cues from gains on Wall Street and easing concerns over an aggressive Fed tightening cycle. Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 2.5%, while Australia’s benchmark index gained 0.2%. The broader MSCI index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan also edged higher. Markets in mainland China and South Korea were closed for holidays. 

The gains came after data released on Friday showed that US employers added only 29,000 jobs in September, sharply below the 90,000 expected by economists. Payrolls for the previous two months were also revised lower. Markets are now pricing in a 22% probability of a Fed rate hike in October, down from 64% a week earlier. 

US, European Futures 

US stock futures pointed to a positive start, with Nasdaq futures up 0.13%, while S&P 500 futures were flat. In Europe, EUROSTOXX 50 futures gained 0.3%, while FTSE futures were flat. 

The softer jobs data has helped ease pressure on global bond markets, although US Treasury yields remain elevated. The benchmark 10-year US Treasury yield slipped to around 5.26% on Monday after hitting multi-year highs last week. 

Oil Prices 

Crude oil prices eased on Monday as rising Middle Eastern exports and a planned release of 100 million barrels of crude and diesel from G7 emergency reserves helped reduce immediate supply concerns. 

Brent crude futures were down 0.7% at $101.60 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude fell 1.1% to $90 a barrel. However, geopolitical risks remain elevated amid continued attacks around the Gulf region, limiting the downside in oil prices. 

Source

•  Exchanges