GIFT NIFTY opened at 23,329.0 on Friday, barely 2.5 points above the previous close of 23,326.5, as traders awaited cues from a mixed Asian session. The opening marked a marginal gap of just 0.01%, reflecting the cautious sentiment prevailing across regional markets at the start of the day.
The index spent the first half-hour below the opening level, dipping to a session low of 23,298.0 within 20 minutes as early sellers dominated. By 00:30 IST, GIFT NIFTY had shed nearly 10 points from the open, trading near 23,320.0 as overnight positioning unwound.
The contract found support around 23,315 and staged a measured recovery through the next 30 minutes. By 00:50 IST, GIFT NIFTY had climbed back to 23,347.0, briefly touching an intraday high of 23,351.5 as buyers stepped in ahead of the cash market open. The index then consolidated between 23,327 and 23,345 in the final 20 minutes before the Indian market bell.
| Metric | Level |
|---|---|
| Open | 23,329.0 |
| High | 23,361.5 |
| Low | 23,298.0 |
| LTP (09:15 IST) | 23,352.5 |
| Change | +26.0 (+0.11%) |
Asian markets provided little directional conviction during the session. Japan's Nikkei 225 edged up 128.17 points to close at 65,270.95, a gain of 0.20%, offering modest support to regional sentiment. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index moved in the opposite direction, falling 320.49 points or 1.27% to settle at 24,954.47, weighing on risk appetite across the region.
| Index | Level | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Nikkei 225 | 65,270.95 | +128.17 (+0.20%) |
| Hang Seng | 24,954.47 | -320.49 (-1.27%) |
India's Nifty 50 opened at 23,477.80, up 0.20% from the previous session according to regional index data, tracking the modest positive bias in GIFT NIFTY's pre-market action. The domestic cash market's opening aligned with the offshore contract's range-bound start, suggesting limited conviction among participants at the Friday open.
At 09:15 IST, GIFT NIFTY was trading at 23,352.5, up 26.0 points or 0.11% from Thursday's close. The index had carved out a 63.5-point range between 23,298.0 and 23,361.5 in the first 75 minutes of trade, with the contract holding just above the psychological 23,350 mark as the cash session got underway. The early price action reflected the broader Asian tone — neither bullish nor bearish, but caught between conflicting signals from Tokyo and Hong Kong.