The Indian equity markets are poised to open on a positive note today, supported by rising optimism over a potential U.S.-India trade agreement. Sentiment was further buoyed by U.S. President Donald Trump's recent remarks suggesting that a trade deal with India is nearing completion. Adding to it, the upward trend in GIFT Nifty futures point to a likely gap-up start for the benchmark indices, the BSE Sensex and the NSE Nifty.

Trump’s recent remarks come amid an ongoing visit by a delegation from India’s Commerce Ministry to the U.S. for renewed trade talks. Earlier this month, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal stated that India does not pursue trade agreements based on fixed timelines, highlighting a measured and strategic approach to negotiations.

At 8:30 AM, the GIFT Nifty futures were trading 50 points higher at 25,279, indicating a positive start for the Indian benchmark indices.

On Wednesday, the equity benchmarks closed marginally higher after a range-bound session, supported by late buying in select heavyweights. The BSE Sensex added 63.57 points to settle at 82,634.48, while the NSE Nifty50 edged up 16.25 points to close at 25,212.05. Both indices stayed in a narrow band through most of the day, with modest gains seen in the second half. The Sensex held above the 82,600 mark, while the Nifty remained resilient near the 25,200 level.

U.S. stocks rise in choppy trade after Trump denies plan to fire Fed Chair

Wall Street ended higher in a highly volatile session on Wednesday, rebounding from the day’s lows after Trump denied plans to remove U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. The S&P 500 rose 0.32%, the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.26%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.53%.

During the session, U.S. stocks fell by as much as 0.8% after Trump reportedly told Republican lawmakers that he was likely to seek Powell’s dismissal. However, around noon, Trump issued a statement saying he had no plans to fire the Fed chair, helping markets rebound and move back into positive territory.

Cautious start for Asian markets amid Trump-Powell fallout

Equity markets in the Asia-Pacific region started on a cautious note on Thursday as investors digested the fallout from the latest political drama in Washington. Although Wall Street rebounded late in the previous session, Trump denied reports that he planned to remove Fed Chair Powell, sentiment in Asia remained fragile, with traders wary of potential implications for central bank independence and monetary policy going forward.

Japan’s Nikkei 225, South Korea’s Kospi, Taiwan’s Weighted Index, and China’s Shanghai Composite were trading marginally lower by 0.2%. On the other hand, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng traded flat with a positive bias, while Singapore’s Straits Times and Australia’s ASX 200 rose in the range of 0.3% to 0.7%. Indonesia’s Jakarta Composite was the top performer in the region with a 1% gain.

Stocks to watch

Q1 results: Wipro, Axis Bank, LTIMindtree, Jio Financial Services, Indian Hotels Company, HDFC Asset Management Company, 360 ONE WAM, Alok Industries,  Nuvoco Vistas Corporation, Polycab India, Shoppers Stop, South Indian Bank, Sunteck Realty, Sterling and Wilson Renewable Energy, Tata Communications, and Waaree Renewable Technologies are set to release their quarterly earnings reports today.

Tech Mahindra: The IT major posted a consolidated profit of ₹1,141 crore for the first quarter ended June 30, 2025, growing by 34% on a YoY basis.

Swiggy: Online delivery platform Swiggy has launched a dedicated ‘High Protein’ category across its food marketplace to help health-conscious consumers make smarter food choices.

Smartworks Coworking Spaces: The mainboard IPO is set to debut on the BSE and the NSE today.

State Bank of India: The public sector lender has approved a QIP issue of ₹25,000 crore with a floor price of ₹811.05 per share, a discount of 2.5% over the Wednesday closing price.

L&T Technology Services: The L&T group company saw its revenue climbing 16.4% YoY to ₹2,866 crore in Q1FY26, while the net profit increased marginally by 0.7% to ₹316 crore.

Godrej Properties: The real estate major entered Raipur through a 50-acre land acquisition, targeting premium plotted development.

Hindustan Zinc: The company, a subsidiary of Vedanta, has received a letter of intent as the preferred bidder for a potash and halite block in Rajasthan.

Emcure Pharmaceuticals: The pharma company has inked an exclusive promotion deal with Sanofi India for key anti-diabetic drugs.

Ixigo: The online travel aggregator has reported a consolidated net profit of ₹18.9 crore in the first quarter of FY26, an increase of 27% from ₹14.9 crore in the year-ago quarter.

Angel One: The brokerage firm saw its consolidated net profit falling 61% YoY to ₹114.5 crore, while revenue dropped 18.8% YoY to ₹1,140.5 crore.

Maruti Suzuki India: The auto major has announced standardisation of six airbags in the Ertiga and Baleno, leading to a price hike effective July 16.

Zydus Lifesciences: The drug maker has received a clean remote regulatory assessment from the US FDA for its Matoda facility.

JSW Hydro Energy: The company has secured a Supreme Court ruling upholding Himachal Pradesh’s right to 18% free power supply from its 1,045 MW Karcham Wangtoo plant.

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