GIFT NIFTY INDICATES RED OPENING FOR KEY INDICES; JAPAN HITS FRESH HIGH ON US-IRAN DEAL HOPES

GIFT Nifty:

The GIFT Nifty April 2026 futures currently traded 17.50 points lower, suggesting a red opening for the benchmark index today.

Institutional Flows:

Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth Rs 666.15 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net sellers to the tune of Rs 568.98 crore in the Indian equity market on 15 April 2026, provisional data showed.

The FIIs had sold shares worth Rs 40,289.66 crore in April (till 15 April 2026). This follows their cash sales of Rs 122,540.41 crore in March, Rs 6,640.78 crore in February and Rs 41,435.22 crore in January 2026.

Global Markets:

Asia markets rallied on Thursday, with Japan�s Nikkei 225 hitting a record high level, as they tracked overnight gains on Wall Street as hopes of a U.S.-Iran deal grew.

The Iran war is �very close to over,� President Donald Trump said in a media interview that aired on Wednesday, again reportedly claiming that Tehran wants to �make a deal very badly.�

A White House official was quoted by the media on Tuesday, stating that a second round of negotiations between Washington and Iran is under discussion. According to media reports, nothing has been officially scheduled yet with respect to these talks.

Meanwhile, China�s economy accelerated in the first quarter, supported by robust export growth, which helped offset tepid domestic demand, even as the growth outlook was clouded by the Iran war-fueled energy shock threatening global demand.

Gross domestic product grew 5% in the three months to March, data from the National Statistics Bureau showed Thursday, accelerating from 4.5% in the prior quarter.

Overnight on Wall Street, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite rose to new all-time highs on Wednesday, building on the week�s strong gains as investors remained hopeful about the Iran war potentially ending soon.

The broad market index gained 0.80%, ending at 7,022.95. The Nasdaq Composite advanced 1.59% to 24,016.02, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 72.27 points, or 0.15%, to close at 48,463.72.

The U.S. economy grew at a �slight to modest pace� over the past six weeks while consumers battled higher prices, resulting in more people reaching out for assistance, the Federal Reserve reported Wednesday.

In the central bank�s periodic �Beige Book� accounting of activity, the 12 Fed districts reported that the Iran war as �a major source of uncertainty� for businesses. Price growth was reported as �moderate� even with a sharp rise in energy and fuel costs. Consumers struggled to deal with the conditions, according to the report, which covered the prior six weeks.

Domestic Market:

The headline equity benchmarks surged on Wednesday, tracking firm cues from other Asian markets amid renewed optimism over the resumption of US-Iran peace talks. Sentiment strengthened as crude oil prices slipped decisively below the $100 per barrel mark, while the rupee appreciated against the US dollar, supported by softer crude and a weaker greenback.

The Nifty closed firmly above the 24,200 level, led by strong buying in consumer durables and IT stocks.

The S&P BSE Sensex surged 1,263.67 points or 1.64% to 78,111.24. The Nifty 50 index jumped 388.65 points or 1.63% to 24,231.30.