Sensex Today | Stock Market LIVE Updates: GIFT Nifty signals a positive start; Asian shares trade higher

Rail Vikas Nigam (RVNL) shares will be in focus on Thursday after the company secured a ₹270 crore work order from the Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation.

Bajaj Auto shares will be in the spotlight on Thursday after the company's Q2FY25 earnings came in slightly below market expectations. On Wednesday, Bajaj Auto reported a standalone net profit of ₹2,005 crore for the quarter ending September 2024, a 9% increase from ₹1,836 crore in the same period last year.

According to technical scan data from stockedge.com, three stocks in the Nifty200 group had their closing prices move above their 200-day moving averages (DMA) on October 16.

BlackRock Inc., the world's largest asset manager, is in discussions with billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Jio Financial Services Ltd. to establish a private credit venture, aiming to capitalize on the growing direct lending opportunities in India, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Reliance Industries (RIL) shares will be in the spotlight on Thursday, as the oil-to-retail conglomerate has set Monday, October 28, 2024, as the record date to determine eligible shareholders for its 1:1 bonus share issue.

Asset management companies saw gains of up to 12% in Wednesday's trading, as strong second-quarter results from HDFC Asset Management, the largest listed fund house, boosted market sentiment.

The Nifty has been trading within a narrow range of 24,900 to 25,300, or about 300 points (1.2%), over the past few sessions.

Infosys shares will be in the spotlight during Thursday's trading as the IT services company is set to announce its quarterly results for the period ending September 2024 later today.

Sebi has announced plans to create a framework for a liquidity window for corporate bonds through a voluntary 'put option,' allowing investors to sell bonds back to the issuers.

Despite rising diplomatic tensions between Canada and India, Canadian funds, which held domestic equities worth around ₹1.98 lakh crore as of September 30, are not hastily pulling out of the Indian market.

Shapoorji Pallonji's subsidiary, Goswami Infratech, has requested a two-week extension from debenture holders to list shares of Afcons, moving the long-stop date from October 31 to November 15. The company expects the listing to be completed by early November and has asked for approval from the debenture trustee to extend the timeline for filing the Red Herring Prospectus (RHP).

Investing in large initial public offerings (IPOs) and holding them indefinitely may not guarantee strong returns.

A study by Capitalmind Financial Services reveals that out of the 30 largest IPOs in India, with issue sizes ranging from ₹4,000 crore to ₹20,000 crore, 18 have underperformed compared to the Nifty 500 index.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has taken note of the recent slowdown in foreign investment in fully accessible government bonds. It has been making inquiries in the market regarding the impact of global volatility on local debt markets, as the rupee faces pressure on its exchange rate.

The benchmark Sensex dropped by 318 points, while the Nifty fell below the 25,000 mark on Wednesday, driven by ongoing foreign fund outflows and weak global market trends.

Among stocks in focus, Bajaj Auto rose by 0.9%, LTTS edged up 0.12%, while BSE saw its shares fall by nearly 5% on Wednesday.

Goldman Sachs stated on Wednesday that it anticipates the U.S. Federal Reserve will implement consecutive 25-basis-point interest rate cuts from November 2024 through June 2025, bringing the terminal rate range to 3.25-3.5%.

The second quarter earnings season is underway and as many as 38 companies will announce their numbers for the July-September 2024 period today. Among them are 4 Nifty companies including Infosys, Wipro, Nestle and Axis Bank that will declare their results.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose on Wednesday and closed at a record high, and Wall Street's two other benchmark indexes also ended higher, weathering declines in megacap tech shares thanks to small-caps gains and financial shares buoyed by strong earnings.

It was the third time in four sessions the Dow .DJI has recorded a best ever finish, ending above 43,000 points again and recouping losses from the previous session.

The markets maintained their downward trajectory, dropping nearly half a percent as the correction continues. Today's trading will focus on shares of Wipro, Infosys, Axis Bank, Nestle, Bajaj Auto, and RIL, which are in the spotlight due to various news updates and second-quarter results.

Oil prices rose in early Asian trade on Thursday, paring sharp losses over the past two sessions, after industry data showed an unexpected drop in U.S. crude stockpiles last week.

Brent crude futures rose 45 cents, or 0.6%, to $74.67 a barrel by 0023 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were at $70.84 a barrel, up 45 cents, or 0.6%.

Indian benchmark equity indices fell for the second straight session on Wednesday, following declines in global markets, with auto and IT stocks driving the decrease.

The Nifty 50 ended the day down 0.34% at 24,971 points, while the S&P BSE Sensex decreased by 0.39% to 81,501 points.