NIFTY50, SENSEX today: Wall Street cues, FII activity, key things to know before markets open on April 17

The Indian equity benchmarks are set to open on a flat note on Friday, as indicated by GIFT NIFTY futures. NIFTY futures at GIFT City in Ahmedabad declined 7 points to 24,189 amid weak cues from Asian markets.

The Indian equity benchmarks ended lower on Thursday as investors resorted to profit booking after surging over 9% in April, analysts noted.

The SENSEX ended 123 points lower at 77,989 and NIFTY50 index declined 35 points to close at 24,197 dragged down by losses in HDFC Bank, Bharti Airtel, ICICI Bank, Mahindra & Mahindra, Titan, Kotak Mahindra Bank and State Bank of India.

Asian markets

Most of the Asian markets were trading lower on Friday on account of profit booking ahead of the weekend even as United States President Donald Trump expressed optimism over a deal to secure a permanent ceasefire in Iran.

Japan's Nikkei declined 0.92%, China's Shanghai Composite fell 0.36%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng declined 0.91% and South Korea's KOSPI fell 0.3%.

Wall Street update

US stocks extended their record-breaking run for a second straight session on Thursday even as market participants waited for more cues on what will happen next in the Iran war, analysts said.

Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.24%, S&P 500 index advanced 0.26% and tech heavy Nasdaq gained 0.36%.

FII/DII activity

Foreign institutional investors bought shares worth ₹382 crore on Thursday while domestic institutional investors sold stocks worth ₹3,427.75 crore, as per NSE data.

The FIIs have so far this month, FIIs have sold shares worth ₹45,040 crore, data from National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL) showed.

Stocks to watch

Wipro's revenue from operations advanced 8% to ₹24,236 crore in the fourth quarter of previous financial year compared with ₹22,504 crore in the year-ago period. The company's IT services revenue rose 0.6% quarter on quarter (QoQ) and 2.1% year on year (YoY) to $2,651 million.

The life insurance arm of HDFC Bank recorded an 8.68% YoY surge in its net premium income to ₹25,829.43 crore during the quarter under review, compared to ₹23,765.56 crore in the fourth quarter of the 2024-25 fiscal year (Q4 FY25).

Both Boeing 737 aircraft have been grounded at the airport after the incident.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said an air traffic controller and the SpiceJet pilots have been de-rostered pending investigation.

"Supported by its natural landscape and improving accessibility, Dirang is witnessing growing demand from both leisure travellers and adventure enthusiasts. The signing of Gateway Dirang reflects IHCL's focus on pioneering new and emerging destinations and we are delighted to partner with Phurpa Tsering for this project," IHCL Executive Vice President Real Estate and Development, Suma Venkatesh said in a statement.

With the addition of this hotel, IHCL will have 21 hotels in the North East, including 12 under development.

In February, the Board of Directors of PTC India approved the bifurcation of the combined post of Chairman & Managing Director into two distinct positions — Chairman (Non-Executive) and Managing Director (Executive), a regulatory filing said.

The deal will also lead to associated services for the Indian armed forces, an official statement said.

Mumbai-based Paras Defence and Space Technologies has entered into an agreement with US-based Bandak Aviation Inc. DBA Northstar, according to the statement issued by the Indian firm.

Q4 earnings today

Q4 results season is on, and several companies are set to announce their earnings for quarter ended March 31, 2026, on Friday, April 17. They include financial services company Jio Financial Services, personal care product manufacturer Bajaj Consumer Care, and enterprise technology solutions provider Mastek.

Broadband service provider Hathway Cable and Datacom, online share broker Aditya Birla Money, aluminium pharma foil maker GSM Foils, hospitality firm Eco Hotels and Resorts, publisher Infomedia Press, real-estate company Sanathnagar Enterprises, capital markets company Bridge Securities, software developer Integrated Hitech and web application developer Wherrelz IT Solutions, among others, will also post their earnings on April 17.