Stock market today: All you need to know before opening bell on February 19

Indian benchmark indices are expected to open cautiously on Wednesday, taking cues from a mixed global market. The US markets closed higher at record highs, while Asian markets traded lower on Wednesday morning. The GIFT NIFTY futures traded 20 points higher on Wednesday at 7:45 am.

The markets are expected to remain under pressure as Donald Trump announced plans to impose 25% tariffs on imports of semiconductors and pharmaceuticals. Following the announcements, the Dollar index strengthened further to 107 on Wednesday morning.

US markets

The US markets closed at higher levels on Tuesday as market participants digested hawkish comments by the Fed officials and focused on the robust economic situation. The S&P500 closed at record high levels, and Dow Jones and NASDAQ closed 0.2% higher.

Asian markets

Asian markets traded mixed across the board. Japanese indices fell over 200 points on Wednesday, and Hong Kong indices traded lower. On the other hand, Chinese indices traded higher on optimism about the Chinese government's regulatory situation after Xi held a meeting with key business leaders in China.

Crude oil

The crude oil prices increased as the tariff war intensified after the US President announced plans to impose tariffs on automobile, semi-conductors and Pharmaceuticals imports. The WTI crude oil prices traded in green above $71 per barrel, and Brent crude oil prices traded above $75 per barrel.

FII and DII data

The foreign investors turned net buyers on Tuesday in the equities segment worth ₹4,700 crore after considering a block deal from Bharti Airtel. The DIIs continued their buying streak by buying equities worth $3,082 crore. In the derivatives segment, the FIIs hold short positions of 1.87 lakh contracts, a little higher than the previous day.