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Indian equity benchmarks marginally declined on Thursday after Wednesday’s rally. The BSE Sensex fell as much as 214 points or 0.3% to 77,440.91 and the NSE Nifty 50 fell as much as 0.3% to 24,187.
Asian stock markets traded mixed on Thursday as investors assessed the U.S. Federal Reserve’s decision to leave interest rates unchanged while monitoring renewed tensions in the Middle East that lifted oil prices.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 1.74%, South Korea’s Kospi rose 1.50%, while Australia’s ASX 200 slipped 0.50%.
Investor focus remained on the Federal Reserve after policymakers voted 9-3 to keep the benchmark federal funds rate unchanged at 3.5% to 3.75%. The split decision highlighted growing differences among officials, with three policymakers favouring an interest-rate increase amid persistent inflation concerns.
Sentiment was also shaped by higher crude prices after the United States launched another round of strikes against targets in Iran. Brent crude traded near $90 a barrel after surging almost 8% in the previous session, marking its biggest one-day gain in more than two weeks. U.S. West Texas Intermediate held above $84 a barrel.
The renewed rise in oil prices added to concerns that elevated energy costs could keep inflation under pressure, complicating the outlook for global central banks even after the Fed opted to keep policy unchanged.
Wall Street ended sharply lower overnight. The Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled 1,153.18 points, or 2.19%, recording its biggest one-day decline since April 2025. The S&P 500 lost 1.52%, while the Nasdaq Composite fell 1.74%, leaving the technology-heavy index more than 10% below its intraday record.
Despite the overnight selloff, U.S. equity futures pointed to a firmer start. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 158 points, or 0.3%, while S&P 500 futures gained 0.4%. Nasdaq-100 futures advanced 0.7% as investors digested the latest technology earnings and the Fed’s policy announcement.
Market participants are expected to remain focused on developments in the Middle East, corporate earnings and central bank commentary as they assess the outlook for inflation, interest rates and global equities.
