Finance1 min read

Indian shares set for positive start after Fed holds rates steady; elevated oil weighs

By · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The Federal Reserve left interest rates untouched due to persistent inflation, pushing borrowing cost decisions until after the U.S. midterm elections. Early indicators suggest a flat opening for the Nifty 50, which has declined in six of the last seven sessions primarily due to elevated crude prices near $115 per barrel. Investors will also navigate mixed corporate results, including profit growth at Vedanta alongside a cost-driven earnings miss at Hero MotoCorp.

Key points

  • High global oil prices continue to fuel concerns regarding domestic inflation, high inter…: High global oil prices continue to fuel concerns regarding domestic inflation, high interest rates, and pressure on the rupee.
  • Recent foreign investor purchases provide modest relief against substantial net foreign e…: Recent foreign investor purchases provide modest relief against substantial net foreign equity outflows recorded throughout October.
  • Diverging quarterly corporate earnings will likely steer selective trading activity acros…: Diverging quarterly corporate earnings will likely steer selective trading activity across major Indian industrial, financial, and consumer stocks.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

Indian shares are expected to open little changed on Thursday after the US Federal Reserve held interest rates steady, as expected, while elevated oil prices kept investors cautious.

GIFT Nifty futures were at 22,708 as of 7:35 a.m. IST, indicating a muted start for the benchmark Nifty 50, which closed at 22,698.85 on Wednesday.

The Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged on Wednesday, opting to delay any changes to borrowing costs until after next week's US midterm elections while it awaits further data on inflation, which it said "remains elevated."

Higher interest rates increase the appeal of Treasuries and the dollar, making emerging market equities, including India, less attractive for foreign portfolio investors.

FPIs bought Indian shares worth 8.72 billion rupees ($91.58 million) on Wednesday in a second consecutive session of buying, provisional data showed. They have offloaded $3.74 billion worth of shares so far in October.

Brent crude futures hovered around $115 per barrel, as traders weighed Middle East conflict risks to regional energy supplies.

Indian equity benchmarks have dropped in six of the last seven trading sessions as…

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