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

The Indian equity benchmarks are set to open higher as indicated by GIFT NIFTY futures. NIFTY futures at GIFT City in Ahmedabad advanced 31 points or 0.13% to 24,032 amid mixed cues from Asian markets.

The Indian equity benchmarks rose for a third straight session on Tuesday powered by gains in index heavyweights like Reliance Industries, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Bajaj Finance, HCL Technologies and Tata Consultancy Services.

The SENSEX ended 544 points higher at 76,808 and NIFTY50 index advanced 135 points to close at 23,989.

The rupee appreciated 5 paise to 94.53 against the US dollar on Tuesday, as a sharp decline in oil prices and easing Middle East tensions shifted the near-term bias in favour of the domestic unit.

Forex traders said the immediate threat to global energy supplies has significantly reduced, following easing of tensions in the Middle East.

The crude oil price in global markets dropped 1.72% to $81.73.

Asian markets

Asian markets were trading on a mixed note taking cues from weak closing of US markets as investors turned cautious about US Federal Reserve's near-term outlook on interest rates as market participants are divided on cuts to hikes in rates in coming months.

Japan's Nikkei rose 0.7%, China's Shanghai Composite declined 0.14%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng slipped 0.02% and South Korea's KOSPI fell 0.11%.

Wall Street update

US stocks ended mixed on Tuesday as Dow Jones closed at record high while S&P 500 and tech heavy Nasdaq ended lower following a selloff in technology shares.

Crude oil update

Brent Crude futures dropped below $80 per barrel for first time since March as supply of oil from the Strait of Hormuz reopened after remaining shut for months.

Brent Crude futures traded 0.5% lower at $79 per barrel.

FII/DII activity

Foreign institutional investors (FII) sold shares worth ₹749.18 crore on Tuesday while domestic institutional investors bought stocks worth ₹6 lakhs, as per NSE data.

FIIs have so far this year sold shares worth ₹2,87,368 crore, data from National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL) showed.

Stocks to watch

The MoU was signed on the sidelines of the 59th Pre-Retirement Counselling (PRC) Workshop and 13th Bankers' Awareness Programme.

At present, Asian Paints is the leading player in the sector with a substantial share in the decorative paints market.

Addressing shareholders, Jindal said India remains one of the world's most attractive long-term growth markets, and the outlook for the paints and coatings industry is positive.

"Venus already contributes double-digit to our Grooming Business and is growing upwards of 20%," said Gillette India CFO Srividya Srinivasan, while replying to a query on growth rate in the female category, in its analyst meeting.

Puri, currently Managing Director and CEO of Cipla Health Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company, has over 23 years of leadership experience across both FMCG and healthcare sectors. He brings strong commercial acumen and consumer-centric expertise, Cipla said in a regulatory filing.

He took over as MD and CEO of Cipla Health in 2019, and under his leadership, the company rapidly expanded its portfolio and strengthened its presence across key consumer categories, such as smoking cessation, pain care, cough and cold, skin care, hair care and nutrition, among others, Cipla said.

The company has successfully completed the cash tender offer, through wholly-owned subsidiary, Zara Merger Sub Inc, for all the outstanding shares of common stock of Assertio Holdings Inc, Zydus Lifesciences said in a regulatory filing.

Assertio has become a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company. The common stocks of Assertio are no longer listed or traded on the Nasdaq Global Market, it added.

In May, Zydus Lifesciences announced that it would acquire Assertio Holdings for a total consideration of $166.4 million (over ₹1,590 crore).

As part of the multi-year agreement, Nykaa Beauty and Nykaa Fashion have been integrated as connected apps within the ChatGPT platform. This will allow users to seek conversational recommendations for skincare, apparel and fragrances, with Nykaa serving as the destination to fulfil these queries, the company said in a statement.

This addition expands the ITC Hotels Limited portfolio in Uttar Pradesh.

"This signing further reinforces ITC Hotels' strategic expansion into demand-driven destinations, with the Welcomhotel brand focused on strengthening its presence across emerging cultural and spiritual Tier II and Tier III cities," ITC Hotels stated.