Stock Market Updates: The Sensex opened above the 39,900 mark a day after plunging over 2% to 39,728.41
Domestic stock markets started Friday's session on a positive note tracking gains in Asian equities, a day after benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty suffered their worst day in three weeks as a record number of new COVID-19 infections in parts of Europe spooked investors across the globe. The S&P BSE Sensex index opened 208.20 points - or 0.52 per cent - higher at 39,936.61, and the broader NSE Nifty 50 benchmark began the day at 11,727.40, up 47.05 points - or 0.40 per cent - from its previous close.
On Thursday, the government said it plans to borrow Rs 1.1 lakh crore in tranches to compensate states for tax losses due to the spread of coronavirus, breaking an impasse between the Centre and some of the states. Under the 2017 national goods and services tax (GST), the central government was mandated to compensate states if their revenue growth fell below 14 per cent a year.
Equities elsewhere in Asia moved higher on Friday, buoyed by gains in China, but caution prevailed amid resurgence of coronavirus infections in Europe and the US. MSCI's broadest index of Asia Pacific shares outside Japan was last seen trading 0.26 per cent higher.
While Japan's Nikkei 225 benchmark was up 0.07 per cent at the time, China's Shanghai Composite index was up 0.17 per cent.
Dragged by a selloff in IT and financial stocks, the Sensex had ended 1,066.33 points (2.61 per cent) lower at 39,728.41 on Thursday, and the Nifty fallen 290.70 points (2.43 per cent) to 11,680.35 - both indices halted their longest gaining streak in nearly six years.
A global selloff triggered by the rise in coronavirus infections across Europe and no sign of a vaccine anytime soon hurt the markets, say analysts.
European markets fell to two-week lows, knocked by tougher curbs in London and Paris to fight a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, with no breakthrough in Brexit trade talks also a dampener.
Globally, concerns that a resurgence in the coronavirus pandemic could lead governments to again shut down economies spurred profit-taking, particularly after the recent rally.
Also, downbeat comments from US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin that a stimulus deal was unlikely be made before the November 3 vote in the US hurt global market sentiment.
