Market Closure on Good Friday

Indian stock markets will remain closed on Friday, April 18, in observance of the Good Friday holiday. This pause comes as key Asian indices posted modest gains during a holiday-trimmed trading session.

Asian Markets Show Modest Gains

Japan's Nikkei 225 advanced 0.66 per cent, Taiwan's weighted index climbed 0.58 per cent, and South Korea's KOSPI edged up 0.27 per cent. Other major Asian markets remained closed due to holidays.

Focus on Corporate Earnings

Back home, attention remained on corporate earnings as several companies were scheduled to announce their fourth-quarter results on Friday. These include Just Dial, Mastek, Network 18 Media & Investments, Laxmi Goldorna House, Amal, Yaari Digital Integrated Services, Teamo Productions and Jay Kailash Namkeen.

Investor Sentiment Boosted by Foreign Inflows

Investor sentiment received a boost from strong foreign inflows on Thursday. Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) were net buyers in the cash segment, purchasing shares worth Rs 18,210.41 crore while selling shares worth Rs 13,542.47 crore, leading to a net inflow of Rs 4,667.94 crore. In contrast, Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) offloaded equities worth Rs 2,006.15 crore, turning net sellers.

Indian Market Ends Week Strongly

The Indian market had ended the week on a strong note. The Sensex surged 1,508.91 points to close at 78,553.20 while Nifty jumped 414.45 points to settle at 23,851.65 on Thursday. Banking stocks led the rally with the Private Bank Index gaining over 1.3 per cent, while Nifty IT remained the only sector in the red.

Global Cues Mixed

Meanwhile, global cues were mixed. Dow Jones futures dropped sharply by 521 points or 1.32 per cent to 39,148, while Nasdaq futures saw a marginal rise of 30 points or 0.17 per cent to 18,287. European markets were in the red with France’s CAC down 0.45 per cent, Germany’s DAX falling 0.68 per cent and the UK’s FTSE slipping 0.42 per cent.

Markets will resume trading on Monday, with investors likely to track global cues, earnings outcomes and institutional flows for further direction.