Opening Bell: Sensex Up By 300 Points, Nifty Above 24,120 Despite Global Jitters

Indian benchmark indices opened on a stronger note on Monday, April 28, despite mixed signals from global peers. The BSE Sensex climbed 336.49 points or 0.42% to open at 79,549.02, while the Nifty 50 advanced 82.05 points or 0.34%, reaching 24,121.40.

This uptick follows a sharp decline seen last Friday, April 25, when markets closed lower due to rising geopolitical tensions between India and Pakistan. Investors seem to have regained some confidence at the start of the new week, buoyed by gains in technology and cement sectors.

Friday's Closing: Tensions Dragged Markets Lower
On April 25, Indian markets faced a sharp sell-off amid fears of fresh tensions with Pakistan, leading to a decline of nearly 1% across key indices.
The Sensex dropped 588.90 points, closing at 79,212.53, a 0.74% fall. The day's trading saw highs of 80,130.66 and lows of 78,605.81.

Similarly, the Nifty 50 lost 207.35 points to settle at 24,039.35, down 0.86%.
Top gainers included Tata Consultancy Services (+0.87%), Infosys (+0.64%), Tech Mahindra, and UltraTech Cement.

On the flip side, Reliance Industries, HDFC Bank, ITC Limited, and Maruti Suzuki were among the major losers. Maruti Suzuki shares slid by 2.09%, and Tata Motors declined by 2.01%.

Additionally, the Indian rupee weakened and the 10-year benchmark bond yield rose by 4 basis points, reflecting the heightened risk sentiment.

Read More 
Earnings Today: UltraTech Cement, Adani Green, TVS Motor, and More

US Markets Rally Ahead of Earnings Deluge
Meanwhile, Wall Street closed higher on Friday as investors geared up for the busiest stretch of the earnings season.

The S&P 500 ended 0.74% higher at 5,525.21, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite climbed 1.26% to 17,282.94. The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up 0.05%, or 20 points, to close at 40,113.50.

Markets are keenly awaiting quarterly results from tech giants — Amazon, Apple, Meta Platforms, and Microsoft — as well as major corporates like Visa, Coca-Cola, Eli Lilly, and Berkshire Hathaway.

However, volatility persists with uncertainty around President Donald Trump's new sweeping tariff proposals, which have roiled investor sentiment this month.
 

So far in April, the S&P 500 is down 1.5%, Dow Jones has slid 4.5%, while Nasdaq is marginally up by 0.5%.

Asian Markets Trade Mixed Amid Stimulus Hopes
Across Asia, markets were mixed on Monday as investors weighed China's fresh stimulus promises against broader global uncertainties.

China's Finance Minister Lan Fo'an over the weekend said the country would “adopt more proactive macroeconomic policies to promote the realization of the expected growth target for the whole year and continue to bring stability and momentum to the global economy,” according to a Google translation of an official statement.

Despite these assurances, mainland China's CSI 300 edged down 0.11%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index slipped 0.07%.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 rose 0.51%, and the Topix gained 1.03%. South Korea’s Kospi traded 0.33% higher, but the small-cap Kosdaq fell 0.75% in choppy trade.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 advanced 0.84%, leading regional gains.