GIFT Nifty hints at a higher opening for Indian equity markets on Monday (February 17), indicating a positive start for the BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty 50.

Previously, the Indian stock market ended the week on a weak note, extending its losing streak to eight consecutive sessions. On Friday, the BSE Sensex dropped 199.76 points to close at 75,939.21 after briefly tumbling nearly 700 points during intraday trade, while the NSE Nifty 50 slipped 102.15 points to settle at 22,929.25. Over the week, the Sensex shed 1,920.98 points or 2.46%, and the Nifty declined 630.7 points or 2.67%.

To ease liquidity pressure ahead of tax outflows, the RBI will infuse over $16 billion into the banking system next week. It has doubled its bond purchase target to Rs 40,000 crore and included the 6.79% 2034 bond in the upcoming auction. With GST payments due soon, the central bank is also conducting a Rs 1 trillion repo auction to manage liquidity.

Asia-Pacific markets opened mostly higher, with South Korea’s Kospi rising 0.18% and the small-cap Kosdaq up 0.35%.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 hovered near the flatline, while the Topix inched up 0.15%. Japan’s economy grew 0.7% quarter-on-quarter in the fourth quarter, surpassing analysts expectations, according to preliminary government data released Monday. This follows a revised 0.4% growth in the previous quarter.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index futures stood at 22,521, while Australia’s S&P/ASX slipped 0.64%.

The US stock markets, including the Nasdaq and New York Stock Exchange, will remain closed today, February 17, in observance of Presidents Day, also known as Washington’s Birthday. Trading will resume as usual on Tuesday, February 18.

Wall Street closed on a mixed note Friday. The S&P 500 barely changed, slipping 0.01% to 6,114.63. The Nasdaq edged up 0.41% to 20,026.77, while the Dow Jones fell 0.37% to 44,546.08. Treasury yields declined after Donald Trump proposed reciprocal tariffs without introducing new ones.

The US Dollar Index (DXY), which measures the dollar’s value against a basket of six foreign currencies, was down 0.05% at 106.077 on Monday morning. The index evaluates the strength or weakness of the US dollar in comparison to major currencies. The basket contains currencies such as the British Pound, Euro, Swedish Krona, Japanese Yen, Swiss Franc, etc. The rupee depreciated 0.01% to close at 86.883 to the dollar on February 14.

The crude oil prices have edged lower. WTI crude prices were trading at $70.40 down by 0.34%, while Brent crude prices were trading at $74.48 down by 0.35%, on Monday morning.

On February 14, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) continued their selling spree, offloading shares worth Rs 4,294.69 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) emerged as net buyers, investing Rs 4,363.87 crore. This takes the total FII selling in 2025, well above Rs 1 lakh crore mark.

Gold prices in India saw a steady trend, with the 22 carat gold rate today at Rs 7,889 per gram, while the 24 carat gold rate stood at Rs 8,606 per gram. For 18K gold, the rate per gram was Rs 6,455.

For larger quantities, the cost of gold today for 10 grams of 22 kt gold was Rs 78,890, whereas the 24 carat gold rate for 10 grams was Rs 86,060.

The ex-date and record date for the interim dividend of Ircon International, Oil India, Campus Activewear, Dalmia Bharat Sugar and Industries, Apollo Sindoori Hotels, Garuda Construction and Engineering, IIFL Capital Services, and Mrs Bectors Food Specialities is today, February 17.

Crypto

Cryptocurrencies posted a mixed performance, with Bitcoin (BTC) dipping by 1.14%, settling at around $96,528. Ethereum (ETH) followed suit, dropping 0.68% to $2,681.12. Solana (SOL) saw a more significant decline, falling by 2.77% to $189.40. On the flip side, BNB (BNB) and Cardano (ADA) stood out with positive movements, gaining 1.54% and 1.84%, respectively.