FX.co ★ Sensex Opens Slightly Higher

India’s BSE Sensex inched up around 0.1% to 77,595 on Friday, extending gains from the previous session, though advances were restrained by elevated crude oil prices and renewed pressure in global bond markets. Crude benchmarks, trading near one-month highs, remained a key overhang for Indian equities given their potential to stoke inflation, raise corporate input costs, and widen the country’s import bill.

In the primary market, appliance manufacturer Atomberg Technologies filed draft documents for an initial public offering, outlining plans for a fresh issue of up to 4.5 billion rupees and an offer for sale of up to 76.5 million shares.

On the stock-specific front, Welspun jumped about 12.1% after winning a $1.8 billion contract to supply pipes from its US manufacturing facility, the company’s largest-ever single order. Netweb, Dhoot Transmission, Hindustan Copper, and Hindustan Zinc gained between 1.4% and 3.4%. In contrast, Shiprocket, Shadowfax Tech, and TVS Motor fell 3.0%, 2.2%, and 0.7%, respectively.