The market is expected to open in the green as trends on the SGX Nifty indicate a positive opening for the broader index in India with a gain of 78 points.
The benchmark indices extended correction for the fifth consecutive session. The BSE Sensex fell nearly 400 points to 57,301, while the Nifty50 declined more than 100 points to 17,092 but formed a bullish candle on the daily charts as the closing was higher than opening levels.
As per the pivot charts, the key support levels for the Nifty are placed at 16,908, followed by 16,723. If the index moves up, the key resistance levels to watch out for are 17,213 and 17,333.
Stay tuned to Moneycontrol to find out what happens in the currency and equity markets today. We have collated a list of important headlines across news platforms which could impact Indian as well as international markets:
US Markets
Wall Street's main indices fell on Tuesday, with the S&P 500 confirming a correction, as the Ukraine-Russia crisis kept investors on the edge after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognised two breakaway regions in the country and ordered troops to the area.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 482.57 points, or 1.42 percent, to 33,596.61, the S&P 500 lost 44.11 points, or 1.01 percent, to 4,304.76 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 166.55 points, or 1.23 percent, to 13,381.52.
Asian Markets
Shares in the Asia-Pacific rose in Wednesday morning trade as investors continue monitoring the intensifying crisis surrounding Ukraine. South Korea’s Kospi climbed 0.3 percent in morning trade. The S&P/ASX 200 in Australia recovered from earlier losses, last up 0.21 percent. Markets in Japan are closed on Wednesday for a holiday.
SGX Nifty
Trends on SGX Nifty indicate a positive opening for the broader index in India with a gain of 78 points. The Nifty futures were trading around 17,180 levels on the Singaporean exchange.
Oil pulls back on view western sanctions on Russia won't choke supply
Oil prices took a breather on Wednesday after surging to seven-year highs in the previous session as it became clear the first wave of US and European sanctions on Russia for sending troops into eastern Ukraine would not disrupt oil supply.
At the same time, the potential return of more Iranian crude to the market, with Tehran and world powers close to reviving a nuclear agreement, also kept a lid on prices, which hit seven-year highs in the previous session.
Brent crude fell 13 cents, or 0.1 percent, to $96.71 a barrel at 0142 GMT, after soaring as high as $99.50 on Tuesday, the highest since September 2014.
Traders see inflation as 2022's biggest market mover: Survey
Inflation will have the biggest impact on global markets in 2022, traders said, while liquidity was the top daily trading challenge for a sixth year, according to an annual survey of institutional trading clients by JPMorgan published on Wednesday.
About 48 percent of 718 institutional trading clients surveyed at the end of November 2021 highlighted inflation as this year's biggest market mover, displacing the global pandemic, which topped last year's list.
Crude oil surge 'worrisome', impact on trade yet to be felt: FM Sitharaman on Russia-Ukraine crisis
The escalating crisis between Russia and Ukraine, and the resultant surge in crude oil prices is "worrisome", Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on February 22, adding that the government is constantly monitoring the situation.
Briefing the press in Mumbai, where she held post-Budget consultations with several stakeholders, Sitharaman said the Ukraine situation and the crude rates were discussed at the meeting of the Financial Stability Development Council (FSDC), which includes all the financial sector regulators.
"Crude oil is a worrisome situation...We actually voiced that we wanted a diplomatic solution for the situation that is developing in Ukraine, all these headwinds on the crude. It is one of the very important considerations. We'll have to see how it goes. We are keeping a watch on Brent," Sitharaman said.
Barclays pegs India's Q3 GDP growth at 6.6%
Forecasting a lower-than-previously projected 10 per cent GDP growth for the fiscal year 2022 due to the third wave of the pandemic, foreign brokerage Barclays said the Indian economy is likely to have expanded by 6.6 percent in the December quarter.
The economy had a relatively stable Q3 with several sectors returning to pre-pandemic level of activity, with services playing a bigger role in activity, the report said, adding that with the mild Omicron wave in January, there is clear downside risks to the earlier growth forecast of 10 percent in FY22.
Buzz in market for LIC IPO, going ahead with it, says FM Nirmala Sitharaman
The government will go ahead with the upcoming initial public offering (IPO) of the state-run insurance giant LIC, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on February 22, amid concerns raised over the potential fallout of the escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine.
"There is a buzz in the market and there is interest for LIC IPO. We are going ahead with it," Sitharaman said. She, however, added that "we are equally worried if the market situation is conducive".
FII and DII data
Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) have net sold Rs 3,245.52 crore worth of shares, whereas domestic institutional investors (DIIs) have net bought Rs 4,108.58 crore worth of shares in the Indian equity market on February 22, as per provisional data available on the NSE.
Stocks under F&O ban on NSE
Three stocks - Escorts, Indiabulls Housing Finance, and Punjab National Bank - are under the F&O ban for February 23. Securities in the ban period under the F&O segment include companies in which the security has crossed 95 percent of the market-wide position limit.
With inputs from Reuters & other agencies
