MarketBuzz Podcast With Sonal Bhutra: Sensex, Nifty50 likely to make a strong start today; crude oil cools off

Indian equity benchmarks Sensex and Nifty50 are likely to start Wednesday's session on a strong note tracking sharp gains across global markets as crude oil prices returned to sub-$100 a barrel levels for the first time in three weeks. At 8:39 am, Singapore Exchange (SGX) Nifty futures -- an early indicator of the Nifty50 index -- were up 255 points or 1.5 percent at 16,907.5. Investors awaited the outcome of the Fed's policy meeting due later in the day wherein the US central bank is widely expected to announce a hike in pandemic-era interest rates. Updates on increasing COVID-19 cases in China and the Russia-Ukraine war continued to be on investors' watch list.