NIFTY50, SENSEX today: Wall Street cues, FII activity, key things to know before markets open on January 21

The Indian equity benchmarks are set to stage a flat opening on Wednesday, January 21, as indicated by GIFT NIFTY futures. NIFTY futures at GIFT City in Ahmedabad fell 12 points to 25,271 amid mixed cues from Asian markets.

The Indian equity benchmarks nosedived on Tuesday. The NIFTY50 index posted its worst day in over nine months as the index dropped as much as 414 points or 1.6% to hit an intraday low of 25,171 and the 30-share SENSEX plunged as much as 1,236 points to hit an intraday low of 82,010.58 as rising geopolitical tensions across the world rattled investor sentiment for risk assets like equities, while precious metals like gold and silver surged to record highs.

The SENSEX fell 1,066 points to close at 82,180 and NIFTY50 index tumbled 353 points to close at 25,232, its lowest since October 13, 2024, data from the NSE showed.

Asian markets

Asian markets were trading on a mixed note amid steep fall in US markets overnight after US President Donald Trump threatened fresh tariffs on countries resisting transfer of Greenland to the United States.

Japan's Nikkei fell 0.53%, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index declined 0.46%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng declined 0.01% while China's Shanghai Composite rose 0.43%.

Wall Street update

Overnight US stocks ended sharply lower on Tuesday with Dow Jones falling 1.76%, S&P 500 index dropped 2.06% and Nasdaq declined 2.39%.

Stocks slumped on Wall Street Tuesday after President Donald Trump threatened to hit eight European countries with new tariffs as tensions escalate over his attempts to assert American control over Greenland.

FII/DII activity

Foreign institutional investors sold shares worth ₹2,938 crore on Tuesday while domestic institutional investors bought shares worth ₹3,666 crore, data from the National Stock Exchange showed.

The FIIs have so far this month sold shares worth ₹29,135 crore, according to the data from National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL).

Stocks to Watch

The proposed transaction marks the complete exit of QSR Asia Pte. Ltd., in line with its planned investment lifecycle.

The transaction will be executed, inter alia, through Lenexis Foodworks Private Limited, Inspira Global’s food and beverage arm. In addition to acquiring the entire 11.26% shareholding of QSR Asia Pte. Ltd. for nearly ₹460 crore, Inspira Global proposes to infuse around ₹900 crore through a preferential allotment of equity shares and around ₹600 crore through the preferential allotment of warrants.

These transactions will trigger an open offer to public shareholders of RBA, the company said.

US-based Fidelity Investments, through its arm Fidelity Securities Fund, Fidelity Blue Chip Growth Fund, offloaded 2,36,97,487 shares, representing a 1.94% stake in Aditya Birla Lifestyle Brands Ltd (ABLBL), as per the bulk deal data on the BSE.

The shares were disposed of at an average price of ₹110 apiece, taking the deal value to ₹260.67 crore.

Details of the buyers of ABLBL's shares could not be ascertained on the exchange.

The company's PAT (profit after tax) stood at ₹11 crore during the corresponding period of the previous fiscal.

In a regulatory filing, Rallis India said the quarter included exceptional items -- the additional gratuity provision on account of Wage Code implementation.

During the third quarter of FY26, the company reported a 19% growth in revenue at ₹623 crore compared to ₹522 crore in the same period of the previous year, driven primarily by strong volume growth across businesses.

The miner will have a licence for the block over a five-year period, the company informed stock exchanges.

The development is considered a key step in the miner’s diversification into the strategic critical mineral segment.

The joint venture will be established with Unimech holding a controlling 51% stake and YBA Kanoo holding 49%, and will operate under the name “YBAK Unimech Advanced Manufacturing Solutions”, Unimech said in a statement.

Unimech is an Indian precision engineering and manufacturing company specialising in high-precision components and advanced machining solutions for the aerospace, defence, and industrial sectors.

The company had posted a net profit of ₹335 crore in the October-December quarter a year ago, according to a regulatory filing by United Spirits Ltd (USL).

Its revenue from operations rose 2.71% to ₹7,942 crore in the December quarter under review. It was ₹7,732 crore in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal.

USL’s total expenses stood at ₹7,442 crore, up 2.56% in the December quarter.

Net profit stood at ₹29.87 crore in the same quarter of the previous fiscal, according to a regulatory filing.