Global market cues, gold at record high and much more; all you need to know before market opens

Indian benchmark indices are back in consolidation mode as the SENSEX and NIFTY50 closed in deep red, losing 0.5% on Tuesday. Cues for Wednesday continue to remain weak, with the US markets closing in the red. Record high levels of gold and silver could drive sentiment on Wednesday. Here are the top four cues for today’s trade

US market futures traded in the red on Wednesday morning as investors digested the employment data and expected one or more rate cuts in 2026. Additionally, the investors' concerns of overvaluation in tech stocks also weighed on the investor sentiment, driving major tech stocks like Nvidia (-0.1%), Microsoft (-0.4%), Apple (-0.6%), Alphabet (-0.8%) and Tesla (-1%) into the red.

Steady dollar

The US dollar index remained steady at the 98 level following the mixed US Jobs data drove the demand for the reserve currency. The latest labour data showed the economy added 64,000 jobs, which failed to ease the investor sentiment on Tuesday.

Gold and Silver at record highs

Gold prices touched $4,320 record levels on Wednesday morning as investors expect another Federal rate cut in the coming year. The latest jobs report did little to sway investors away from safe-haven investments like gold and silver.

Crude oil prices

The US crude oil prices rebounded from the five-year low levels after President Trump ordered a complete blockade of oil tankers linked to Venezuela. However, the gains were limited as the Russia-Ukraine peace deal is on the horizon, easing the supply concerns in the region.

FII & DII data

The Foreign investors continued to remain net-sellers in Indian markets as they sold ₹2,020 crore worth of Indian equities on Tuesday. On the contrary, the domestic institutional investors added ₹700 crore worth of equities to support the falling markets. FII’s share in Indian equities is at a multi-decade low of 16.9%.

Asian markets

The Asian markets traded in green across the board on Wednesday morning. The Chinese indices traded with gains of up to 0.8% in Shanghai, 0.4% in Hong Kong. The Japanese indices also traded in green as the robust economic data boosted the investor sentiment. The Japanese 10-year bonds also traded at 18-year high levels as the robust economic data aided the expectations of a rate hike by the Bank of Japan.