IGI Logo

Market Review

US:

US stocks ended Tuesday modestly lower even after minutes from the Fed’s December meeting reinforced expectations for further rate cuts next year.

Asia:

Major Asian stock markets, including Tokyo and Seoul, were closed Wednesday for the yearend and New Year's holidays, while trading was mixed in those bourses that remained open.

India:

The Indian market closed flat on Tuesday, with the Sensex and Nifty extending a losing run as thin year-end trading and lingering concerns over foreign fund outflows kept investors cautious and volumes subdued. Market is expected to open on a flattish note and likely to witness range bound move during the day.

Global economy:

China’s factory activity unexpectedly grew in December, returning to expansion due to an uptick in domestic demand and new orders. The official manufacturing PMI rose to 50.1 in December from 49.2 in November, moving back above the 50-point mark that separates expansion from contraction. Economists had expected the index to remain steady at 49.2.

South Korea’s consumer prices rose 2.3% in December from a year earlier, in line with median forecasts of 2.30%. The consumer price index increased 0.3% on a monthly basis, compared with a 0.2% rise expected by economists. For the whole of 2025, headline inflation was at 2.1%.

U.S. home prices rose in October at the slowest annual rate in more than 13 years, in a sign of improving affordability in the long-struggling housing market. The Federal Housing Finance Agency said home prices rose 1.7% from a year earlier in October after climbing by an upwardly revised 1.8% in September. That marked the smallest annual price increase since March 2012, when prices first started rising after a fiveyear slump triggered by the global financial crisis.

Commodities:

Oil steadied as traders weighed geopolitical tensions from Venezuela to Russia and Yemen against concerns about a global glut.

Gold and silver both traded lower on Wednesday, but were on track for unprecedented milestones as the year approaches its close, while other precious metals also made impressive gains.

Currency:

The U.S. dollar held steady on Wednesday but was headed for its biggest annual drop since 2017 as interest rate cuts, fiscal worries and erratic trade policies under U.S. President Donald Trump cast a shadow on currency markets in 2025.

Please refer disclaimer at https://www.nirmalbang.com/disclaimer.aspx
SEBI Registration number is INH00000176