After a blockbuster rally on April 15, where the Sensex soared over 1,500 points and the Nifty crossed 23,300, the mood on Dalal Street appears cautious this morning. Gift Nifty is hinting at a subdued start, trading near 23,300, down over 100 point or 0.48%. As markets reopen to a fresh set of global signals, from easing geopolitical tensions to concerns around tariffs and mixed cues from Asian peers, investors will be closely watching the direction of global markets in today’s session.
Key global and domestic cues to know on April 16, 2025
Asian Markets
Asian markets opened lower on Wednesday, following a drop in Wall Street. Investors are weighing quarterly earnings while concerns over tariffs linger. Japan’s Nikkei 225 remained flat, while South Korea’s Kospi fell 0.2% and the Kosdaq dropped 0.18%. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 also edged down by 0.08%.
US Futures
US stock futures took a dip. As investors eyed the upcoming retail sales report and a wave of first-quarter earnings, market sentiment turned cautious. Dow futures slipped by 0.5%, while S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures followed suit, falling 0.9% and 1.5%, respectively.
China’s Q1 GDP growth
China is all set to release its first-quarter GDP numbers today, with economists from Reuters forecasting a 5.1% year-on-year growth. This marks a slight slowdown from the 5.4% growth seen in the previous quarter.
‘Your Move, China’ – Trump on trade talks
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, quoting Trump directly, said at a press briefing that “the ball is in China’s court.” Leavitt added, “China needs to make a deal with us, we don’t have to make a deal with them.
US markets
In the US, all three major indices closed lower on Tuesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 155.83 points, or 0.38%, finishing at 40,368.96. The S&P 500 slid 0.17%, closing at 5,396.63, while the Nasdaq Composite eased by 0.05%, ending the session at 16,823.17.
US dollar
The US Dollar Index (DXY), which measures the dollar’s value against a basket of six foreign currencies, was down 0.35% at 99.86 on Wednesday morning. The index evaluates the strength or weakness of the US dollar in comparison to major currencies. The basket contains currencies such as the British Pound, Euro, Swedish Krona, Japanese Yen, Swiss Franc, etc. The rupee depreciated 0.35% to close at 86.76 to the dollar on April 15.
Crude oil
Crude oil prices moved slightly higher early Wednesday. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) rose by 0.35% to $61.54 a barrel, while Brent crude saw a modest gain of 0.28%, trading at $65.85.
FII, DII data
Foreign investors came back to Indian stocks with strong buying on April 15, breaking their recent selling trend. They picked up shares worth Rs 6,065 crore, their biggest single-day purchase since March 27, when they had invested over Rs 11,000 crore. Meanwhile, domestic institutional investors took a breather and booked profits, selling stocks worth Rs 1,951 crore.
Gold rate today
Gold prices ended Tuesday on a firm note as investors turned to the yellow metal amid jitters surrounding US President Donald Trump’s tariff stance. With global markets on edge, traders sought safety in gold, pushing up its value in international trade.
In India, the trend mirrored global cues. According to Goodreturns, 24-carat gold price today is priced at Rs 95,170 per 10 grams, while 22-carat gold stands at Rs 87,190. For 18-carat buyers, the cost is Rs 71,340 per 10 grams.
Earnings watch: Key companies set to announce Q4 results Today
All eyes will be on Wipro, Angel One, Waaree Renewable Technologies, Reliance Industrial Infrastructure, Swaraj Engines, and GTPL Hathway as they gear up to release their quarterly earnings on April 16.