Pre-Market Report: GIFT Nifty Signals Cautious Start Amid Global Tariff Tensions

Global Market Cues

The global sentiment remains fragile as geopolitical tensions escalated over the long weekend. While the U.S. cash markets were closed on Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, U.S. stock futures skidded significantly. S&P 500 futures dropped approximately 1%, and Nasdaq futures fell 1.2% after President Trump threatened to impose a 10% tariff on eight European nations starting February 1, potentially rising to 25% by June, over the Greenland acquisition dispute.

European markets reacted sharply to these threats on Monday, with Germany’s DAX losing 1.3% and France’s CAC 40 tumbling nearly 1.8%. Asian markets are trading mixed on Tuesday morning; while the Nikkei 225 is under pressure, the Hang Seng showed a marginal decline of 0.07%. Meanwhile, the uncertainty has driven a massive rally in safe-haven assets, with Gold prices hitting a record high above $4,690 per ounce and Silver surging over 6%.

GIFT Nifty and Domestic Cues

The GIFT Nifty is currently trading around the 25,610 level, indicating a slightly positive start for the Nifty 50, with a premium of about 40 points over the previous close. On Monday, the domestic benchmarks ended in the red, with the Nifty 50 closing at 25,585 and the Sensex at 83,246. Technical analysts suggest that while a short-term pullback is possible, the Nifty needs to decisively cross the 25,700 mark to trigger a meaningful recovery.

Key Stocks in Focus

Several companies will see price action today following their Q3 FY26 earnings announcements or major corporate developments:

• LTIMindtree: Reported mixed Q3 results with a sequential net profit decline of 30.5% to ₹959.6 crore, though revenue grew 3.7% QoQ.
• Adani Power: Secured a major legal victory as the NCLAT dismissed appeals against its ₹4,000 crore resolution plan for Vidarbha Industries Power.
• Tata Capital: Posted a strong performance with a 19.7% sequential jump in net profit to ₹790 crore, supported by robust AUM growth.
• Havells India: Reported a net profit of ₹301 crore for the December quarter, with revenue growing 14.2% year-on-year.
• Oberoi Realty: Reported nearly flat year-on-year net profit growth at ₹622.6 crore for the third quarter.
• Ola Electric: Continues to be in the spotlight amid ongoing market volatility and sector-specific news.

Key Events to Watch Today

Investors will be tracking both domestic data releases and global political headlines:

• Earnings Calendar: A heavy slate of Q3 results is expected today, including Persistent Systems, United Spirits, SRF, AU Small Finance Bank, and Gujarat Gas.
• Economic Data: India is scheduled to release the output data for eight core industries for December, which will provide insights into industrial growth.
• Geopolitical Developments: Any retaliatory statements from European leaders regarding the proposed U.S. tariffs will be closely monitored.
• Primary Market: Shadowfax Technologies IPO opens for bidding today, while Aritas Vinyl SME IPO concludes.

TAGS: Pre-Market, Stock Market, Nifty, Sensex, Market Update

Tags: Pre-Market Stock Market Nifty Sensex Market Update