First Tick: Top global cues to watch in today’s trade

Crude oil prices rose to its highest level since August on the anticipation of possible military action in Iran.

Indian equity benchmarks, Sensex and Nifty, are likely to see a flat start on February 20, following gains in GIFT Nifty, which was trading at around 25,403.

Track the latest updates on GIFT Nifty right here on Moneycontrol.

Indian equity markets failed to sustain their early momentum and snapped a three-day gaining streak on February 19, with the Nifty slipping below the 25,400, intraday, amid broad-based selling across sectors. Investor sentiment was further weighed down by escalating tensions between the US and Iran.

At close, the Sensex was down 1,236.11 points or 1.48 percent at 82,498.14, and the Nifty was down 365 points or 1.41 percent at 25,454.35.

GIFT Nifty (Flat)

The GIFT Nifty is trading flat at around 25,403, indicating a muted start for the day.

Asian Equities (Slip)

Asian equities fell as escalating tensions in Iran weighed on sentiment, while oil rose to its highest level since August.

US Equities (Slip)

Wall Street ended lower on Thursday, with losses in private equity companies and weakness in Walmart and Apple, while earnings-driven gains in industrials limited losses.

The Nasdaq declined 0.31% to 22,682.73 points, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 0.54% to 49,395.16 points.

Dollar Index (Down)

The dollar was poised on Friday to cap its strongest weekly performance since October, buoyed by a run of better-than-expected economic data, a more hawkish Federal Reserve outlook and as tensions between the U.S. and Iran kept markets on edge.

US Bond Yield (Down)

The US Treasury 10-year yield fell 2 basis points to 4.06%.

Asian Currencies (Down)

Asian currencies were trading mostly lower in the early trade on Friday, while on year-to-date basis Malaysian Ringgit rose 4%, and Philippines Peso, Thai Baht, China Renminbi, Singapore Dollar added 1% each. However, Indonesian Rupiah shed more than 1%.

Crude (Up)

Oil prices were higher on Friday as concern of conflict between the U.S. and Iran ratcheted up, with Washington saying Tehran will suffer if it does not agree a deal about its nuclear activity within a matter of days.

Gold (Up)

Gold hovered around $5,000 an ounce as traders assessed the latest flareup in geopolitics and the

Federal Reserve’s next move on interest rates.

Fund Flow Action

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) snapped their two-day buying streak as they sold equities worth Rs 880 crore on February 19. Meanwhile, Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) also ended their five-day buying streak, offloading equities worth Rs 596 crore.

Hope you're all set for today's trade. We wish you a profitable day ahead.

Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts on Moneycontrol.com are their own and not those of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.