GIFT NIFTY opened at 24,127 on Thursday morning, initially slipping 25 points below its previous close of 24,152, before climbing steadily through the first 75 minutes of trade to reach 24,185.50 by the time Indian cash markets commenced at 9:15 IST.
The index posted an intraday high of 24,195 and a low of 24,117 in early dealings, establishing a tight 78-point range. The early session saw brief weakness in the opening 30 minutes, with the index dipping to 24,134 at the midnight session start, before buyers stepped in to lift prices through successive five-minute intervals.
Early Session Price Action
After the initial pullback, GIFT NIFTY built gains methodically, climbing from 24,142.50 at 00:05 IST to a session peak of 24,166.50 by 00:25 IST. The index surrendered some of those gains between 00:35 and 00:55, slipping back to 24,145, before stabilizing around the 24,150 level through the final minutes ahead of the Indian market open.
The advance left GIFT NIFTY trading 33.50 points or 0.14% above its previous close, signaling a marginally positive start for domestic benchmarks.
GIFT NIFTY Session Snapshot
| Metric | Level |
|---|---|
| Open | 24,127.0 |
| High | 24,195.0 |
| Low | 24,117.0 |
| Last Traded Price | 24,185.5 |
| Change | +33.5 (+0.14%) |
Asian Markets Show Divergent Trends
Regional indices traded mixed, with Japan's Nikkei 225 closing at 70,474.96, up 412.64 points or 0.59% at the 3:45 PM close in Osaka. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index settled at 22,881.02, down 0.63%, while the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index fell to 7,558.30, shedding 0.62%.
India's Nifty 50 Index was trading at 24,005.85, up 0.59%, according to regional market data. The divergent performance across major Asian bourses suggested selective risk appetite, with Japanese equities finding support while Chinese markets lagged.
| Index | Level | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Nikkei 225 | 70,474.96 | +0.59% |
| Hang Seng | 22,881.02 | -0.63% |
| Hang Seng China Ent | 7,558.30 | -0.62% |
| Nifty 50 | 24,005.85 | +0.59% |
Market Outlook
GIFT NIFTY's modest opening gain and subsequent recovery from early weakness reflected cautious optimism, with the index holding above the 24,100 support level through the morning session. The 78-point intraday range pointed to subdued volatility in pre-market dealings.
With Japanese equities closing higher and Indian futures tracking that move, the domestic cash market opened on a firm note. GIFT NIFTY's ability to recover from its opening dip and hold near session highs suggested underlying bid interest, though the narrow trading band indicated traders remained hesitant to commit aggressively ahead of fresh directional cues.