Indian Stock Market: 10 Key Overnight Changes Impacting Sensex & Nifty

Weak Global Cues, Falling Walmart Stock, & Softening Dollar Weigh on Market Sentiment

February 21, 2025: The Indian stock market is expected to open on a weaker note on Friday, as global headwinds—including Walmart’s stock plunge, a declining US dollar, and weak investor sentiment in global markets—continue to influence trading sentiment.

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On Thursday, both Sensex and Nifty 50 closed lower, with the Nifty holding above the 22,900 mark. The Sensex fell 203.22 points (-0.27%) to 75,735.96, while the Nifty 50 slipped 19.75 points (-0.09%) to 22,913.15.

Here’s a quick look at 10 key market factors to watch before the opening bell today:

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🔹 1. Asian Markets Weak Amid Tariff Concerns

Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.43%, while the Topix index declined 0.33%.
South Korea’s Kospi and Kosdaq dropped 0.14% and 0.12%, respectively.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index futures indicated a higher opening.

🔹 2. Gift Nifty Signals Negative Start for Indian Markets

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Gift Nifty was trading around 22,873, nearly 70 points lower than the Nifty futures’ previous close, suggesting a weak opening for Indian equities.

🔹 3. US Markets Fall on Weak Walmart Forecast

Dow Jones fell 450.94 points (-1.01%) to 44,176.65.
S&P 500 dropped 26.63 points (-0.43%) to 6,117.52.
Nasdaq Composite lost 93.89 points (-0.47%) to 19,962.36.

🔹 4. Walmart Stock Plunges 6.5% on Weak Guidance

Walmart projected FY26 earnings per share between $2.50-$2.60, missing analysts’ estimate of $2.76.
Retail competitors Target (-2.0%) and Costco (-2.6%) also fell in response.

🔹 5. US Jobless Claims Rise Slightly

Initial jobless claims rose 5,000 to 219,000, slightly higher than economists’ expectations of 215,000.

🔹 6. Japan’s Inflation Rises, PMI Improves

Core inflation accelerated to 3.2% YoY in January, exceeding market estimates of 3.1%.
Manufacturing PMI improved slightly to 48.9, while services PMI rose to 53.1, signaling better economic activity.

🔹 7. US Dollar Continues to Weaken

The Dollar Index fell to 106.45, marking its third straight weekly decline.
The Japanese yen strengthened to 149.28 per dollar, hitting a 2.5-month high.

🔹 8. Gold Prices Hold Steady After 8-Week Gains

Spot gold rose 0.1% to $2,941.25 per ounce.
US gold futures remained stable at $2,956.60 per ounce.

🔹 9. Crude Oil Prices on Track for Weekly Gains

Brent crude gained 0.30% to $76.71 per barrel.
WTI crude rose 0.44% to $72.57 per barrel, up nearly 3% this week.

🔹 10. India Market Outlook: Nifty Likely to Consolidate

Analyst Outlook:
📉 Nifty likely to stay range-bound between 22,800 – 22,900 in the absence of fresh triggers.
📈 Strong buying at lower levels has helped Nifty sustain above 22,900 for the past seven sessions.