Indian shares set to open higher as oil hits 2-month low after US Democratic win
- GIFT Nifty futures were at 24,295.5
Indian shares are poised for a higher open, fueled by slumping crude oil prices due to US election outcomes and a fourth consecutive day of significant foreign investor buying, indicating renewed market confidence.
- Impact of US midterm elections on global oil prices.
- Foreign investors' sustained buying trend in Indian equities.
- Key indicators pointing to a positive start for Nifty 50.
Indian shares are expected to open higher on Thursday, as crude oil prices slumped to a two-month low as investors bet that Democrats’ victory in US midterm elections could hasten the end of the US-Israeli war on Iran.
GIFT Nifty futures were at 24,295.5 as of 8:01 a.m. IST, indicating a positive start for the benchmark Nifty 50, which closed at 23,960.6 on Wednesday.
Foreign investors bought Indian shares worth 72.84 billion rupees ($769.65 million) on Wednesday, as per provisional data. This marks their fourth straight session of buying, suggesting they may be returning to India after a strong sell-off this year.
Brent crude futures dropped 1% to $93.5 per barrel, after an 8.7% slide in the previous session.
US and European stocks rallied on Wednesday after Democrats seized control of both chambers of Congress in the US midterm elections, providing greater political clarity and reducing uncertainty that has weighed on markets.
Democrats’ win is being seen as a scathing rebuke to President Donald Trump, whose administration’s global tariff policy and decision to go to war in the Middle East also contributed to the Indian market’s underperformance this year.
The domestic markets are now showing signs of a recovery. Indian benchmark Nifty 50 and BSE Sensex have risen 5.6% in the last five sessions, in their longest winning streak in nearly five months, aided by foreign buying, easing oil prices, and strong earnings.
“Unlike the earlier gradual decline (in oil prices), the magnitude of this move can materially improve India’s near-term macro and earnings outlook if sustained,” said Hariselvan Radhakrishnan, founder and CEO of research advisory firm HST Wealth.