Indian benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty, are expected to open on a positive note on December 19, following cues from GIFT Nifty, which was trading around 25,940.50. The market, however, struggled to maintain early gains and closed lower for the third consecutive session on December 17. This decline came amid mixed global market trends following weak US jobs data, ongoing foreign institutional investor (FII) outflows, and a depreciating rupee, compounded by delays in a potential India-US trade deal.
At the close, the Sensex dropped 120.21 points, or 0.14%, to 84,559.65, and the Nifty fell 41.55 points, or 0.16%, to 25,818.55. The BSE Midcap index declined by 0.6%, and the Smallcap index dropped nearly 1%.
In contrast, US equity markets saw gains, with the Dow Jones rising 0.14%, the S&P 500 increasing 0.79%, and the Nasdaq gaining 1.38%. Meanwhile, Asian currencies mostly weakened, with the South Korean Won leading the losses. On December 18, FIIs continued their buying streak, purchasing nearly Rs 600 crore in equities, while DIIs bought Rs 2,700 crore.
