Indian equities are anticipated to open with little movement on Tuesday, as investors digest mixed signals from global markets and the announcement of Sanjay Malhotra's appointment as the new Governor of the Reserve Bank of India. Any potential gains are expected to be restrained as both domestic and U.S. inflation data are awaited this week. Furthermore, developments in the Middle East that affect oil prices will be closely monitored.
On Monday, the key indices, Sensex and Nifty, both declined by approximately 0.2%, primarily due to a drop in FMCG stocks. Meanwhile, the Indian rupee weakened by 8 paise, closing at 84.74 against the U.S. dollar amid renewed foreign fund outflows.
This morning, Asian markets mostly trended upward, following commitments from China's senior leadership to ease monetary policy and bolster the waning economy. The U.S. dollar reached its highest level of the month against the yen, with gold prices ticking upwards, while oil prices remained mixed after sharp increases in the previous session.
In the United States, equities retracted Monday after reaching record highs on Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 0.5%, while the Nasdaq Composite and the S&P 500 each decreased by about 0.6% amid heightened tensions in the Middle East and the anticipation of significant inflation data.
In Europe, stock markets continued their upward trajectory for the eighth consecutive session on Monday, as investors considered the possibility of stronger monetary and fiscal stimulus from China next year. The pan-European STOXX 600 inched up 0.1%, with France's CAC 40 increasing by 0.7% and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 rising by 0.5%, although Germany's DAX slipped 0.2%.