Indices nudge lower; breadth positive

The key equity benchmarks traded with tiny losses in early trade. The Nifty traded below the 25,950 mark. Realty, PSU bank and IT shares declined while metal, auto and media stocks advanced.

At 09:30 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex shed 4.27 points or 0.01% to 84,911.46. The Nifty 50 index lost 5.90 points or 0.02% to 25,934.50.

In the broader market, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index shed 0.16% and the S&P BSE Small-Cap index rose 0.20%.

The market breadth was positive. On the BSE, 1,682 shares rose and 1,173 shares fell. A total of 120 shares were unchanged.

Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares worth Rs 2,784.14 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net buyers to the tune of Rs 3,868.31 crore in the Indian equity market on 24 September 2024, provisional data showed.

Stocks in Spotlight:

Zee Media Corporation zoomed 14.41% after the company said that its board will meet on 27 September 2024 to consider raising finds through various instruments by way different methods.

HDFC Life Insurance Company shed 0.22%. The company's board has approved the raising of Rs 2,000 crore through NCDs.

Delta Corp surged 7.62% after the company's board approved the demerger and listing of hospitality and real estate business into Delta Penland. Shareholders will receive one share of Delta Penland for every share held in Delta Corp.

Numbers to Track:

The yield on India's 10-year benchmark federal paper shed 0.23% to 6.860 as compared with previous close 6.876.

In the foreign exchange market, the rupee edged higher against the dollar. The partially convertible rupee was hovering at 83.5575, compared with its close of 83.6300 during the previous trading session.

MCX Gold futures for 4 October 2024 settlement rose 0.25% to Rs 75,865.

The US Dollar index (DXY), which tracks the greenback's value against a basket of currencies, was down 0.19% to 100.27.

The United States 10-year bond yield grew 0.05% to 3.740.

In the commodities market, Brent crude for November 2024 settlement lost 21 cents or 0.28% to $74.96 a barrel.

Global Markets:

Most Asian stocks extended gains on Wednesday, buoyed by China's expansive stimulus package and a strengthening yuan. The rally, which began the previous day, was fueled by the People's Bank of China's announcement of measures aimed at supporting the economy and financial markets.

In the United States, the S&P 500 (+0.25%) reached a new all-time high Tuesday, shrugging off concerns about weak consumer confidence. Nvidia's shares surged 4% following news that CEO Jensen Huang had completed his stock sales.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (+0.20%) and Nasdaq Composite (+0.56%) also recorded gains.

US consumer confidence suffered its biggest one-month decline in more than three years, hitting 98.7 for September. The data follows a warning from JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon about increasing geopolitical instability cast a shadow over the positive market sentiment. Dimon expressed concerns that these geopolitical tensions could impact the global economy.