Opening Bell : Markets likely to get cautious start amid elevated crude oil prices
Indian markets are likely to get cautious start on Thursday amid elevated crude oil prices, rising US Treasury yields, and persistent geopolitical tensions in West Asia. Brent crude oil prices passed $100/bbl mark, raising concerns over inflation. Foreign fund outflows also likely to dent domestic sentiments. Provisional data available with NSE suggest that FPIs turned net sellers of domestic stocks to the tune of Rs 582.99 crore on September 09.
Some of the key factors to be watched:
Indian economy doing well: NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Ashok Kumar Lahiri said the Indian economy has been doing reasonably well and that Asia's third-largest economy will regain its mojo and return to a current account surplus soon.
Exports rise 15% in April-August this fiscal: Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said India’s merchandise exports have risen by about 15 per cent in April-August this fiscal despite global uncertainties.
Policy must balance innovation with accountability, resilience: RBI Deputy Governor Rohit Jain said Policy should provide room for innovation to grow while ensuring that accountability and resilience grow alongside it.
India’s BRICS chairship focused on innovation, cooperation: Former foreign secretary and Rajya Sabha member Harsh Vardhan Shringla said India’s BRICS chairship in 2026 has adopted a 'people-centric' approach, with its priorities focused on innovation, cooperation and sustainability.
India, Thailand discuss Asean trade pact review, ways to boost trade: India and Thailand have discussed the progress of the ongoing review of the ASEAN free trade agreement on goods. They also discussed ways to boost trade and investments between the two countries.
On the global front: The US markets ended lower on Wednesday as oil prices soared above $100 a barrel, while Apple dipped and Treasury yields rose ahead of crucial inflation data expected later in the week. Asian markets are trading in red on Thursday tracking overnight losses on Wall Street.
Back home, Indian equity benchmarks ended lower for the third straight day on Wednesday, with the Sensex tumbling 813.35 points and the Nifty dropping below 23,450 mark, as rising crude oil prices, a weaker rupee and continued foreign fund outflows weighed on investor sentiment. The escalation of tensions between the US and Iran in the Persian Gulf region added to concerns about global energy supplies and kept investors cautious. Finally, the BSE Sensex fell 813.35 points or 1.08% to 74,764.23 and the CNX Nifty was down by 203.60 points or 0.86% to 23,431.50.
Some of the important factors in trade:
Weak monsoon raises fresh risks for rabi crops: Crisil Ratings in its report has said that Rainfall Distortion Index (RDI) records a deficiency score of 14.4 as of September 4, 2026 making this the most spatially distorted monsoon in a decade. In the same period last year RDI recorded a surplus score of 18.7.
India needs services export diversification for sustainable growth: Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agarwal said the Indian industry needs to diversify its services exports beyond the two dominant segments of IT/ITeS and professional services to achieve sustainable growth.
Green power capacity in cement sector to touch 5.8-6.0 GW by March 2028: The green energy transition is likely to gain momentum in India’s cement sector, with rating agency, ICRA in its latest report forecasting India’s major cement producers to significantly scale up green power capacity to 5.8-6.0 GW by March 2028, from around 4.0 GW as of March 2026.
