Sensex, Nifty likely to open lower; Zee Entertainment, IDBI Bank, Ashok Leyland in focus
Episode 309, Aug 01, 2019, 02:29 AM
Indian shares are set to start August on a weak note, tracking sluggish Asian stocks, following US Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell characterising the rate cut as "a mid-cycle adjustment to policy", citing signs of a global slowdown, simmering US trade tensions and a desire to boost too-low inflation.
On Wednesday, the Fed suggested that policymakers were not embarking on a new cycle of rate-cutting after it trimmed interest rates by 25 basis points.
Indian benchmark indices snapped two days of losses to end higher on Wednesday led by gains in banking, metal, and auto stocks.
The Sensex settled 84 points up, or 0.22 percent, to close Wednesday's trade at 37,481. The Nifty50 also added 32.60 points, or 0.29 percent, to settle at 11,118.
At 7.30 AM, the SGX Nifty futures traded 50 points, or 0.45 percent, lower at 11,071, indicating a negative start for the Sensex and the Nifty 50.
Stocks to watch: Zee Entertainment, IDBI Bank, Ashok Leyland in focus.