Barometers end near flatline; Nifty settles above 24,700 level

The domestic equity benchmarks ended sideways today, despite the announcement of GST reforms. Market witnessed profit booking as investors adopted risk-averse approach. The Nifty settled above the 24,700 level. In the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex shed 7.25 points or 0.01% to 80,710.76. The Nifty 50 index rose 6.70 points or 0.03% to 24,741. In the broader market, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index slipped 0.10% and the S&P BSE Small-Cap index rose 0.09%. The market breadth was positive. The NSE's India VIX, a gauge of the market's expectation of volatility over the near term, down 0.66% to 10.78. Among the sectoral indices, the Nifty Auto index (up 1.25%), the Nifty Metal index (up 0.68%) and the Nifty Media index (up 0.59%) outperformed the Nifty 50 index. Meanwhile, the Nifty IT index (down 1.44%), the Nifty FMCG index (down 1.42%) and the Nifty Realty index (down 1.16%) underperformed the Nifty 50 index. Numbers to Track: The yield on India's 10-year benchmark federal paper declined 0.46% to 6.461 from the previous close of 6.491. In the foreign exchange market, the rupee edged lower against the dollar. The partially convertible rupee was hovering at 88.2500 compared with its close of 88.1200 during the previous trading session. MCX Gold futures for 3 October 2025 settlement rose 0.33% to Rs 106,770. The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the greenback's value against a basket of currencies, was down 0.40% to 97.90. The United States 10-year bond yield declined 0.48% to 4.156. In the commodities market, Brent crude for November 2025 settlement lost 20 cents or 0.30% to $66.79 a barrel. Global Markets: European stocks traded higher on Friday, as investors await a key U.S. jobs report that's likely to set expectations for an upcoming Federal Reserve interest rate cut. Asian market ended higher after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday formalizing a lower Japanese auto import tariff of 15%, down from 27.5%. The order also confirmed the agreement for $550 billion of Japanese investments in U.S. projects. Several Asian chip stocks were in focus after Trump said Thursday stateside that his administration plans to slap tariffs on semiconductor imports from firms that do not move production to the United States. The comments came ahead of Trump’s dinner with top technology CEOs at the renovated Rose Garden. Japanese real wages turned positive for the first time in seven months on the back of hefty summertime bonuses, but elevated inflation added to pressure on consumption, data showed on Friday. Inflation-adjusted real wages, a key determinant of households’ purchasing power, edged up 0.5% in July from a year earlier, the first increase since December last year, when they inched up by 0.3%. Overnight stateside, all three key benchmarks rose on hopes of a favorable jobs report that supports a Federal Reserve rate cut chance. The broad market S&P 500 finished up 0.83% at 6,502.08, while the Nasdaq Composite settled up 0.98% at 21,707.69. The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished up 350.06 points, or 0.77%, at 45,621.29. It was the S&P 500's 21st record close so far this year. Data released on Thursday showed that the number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits increased more than expected last week, while hiring by private employers slowed in August, offering further evidence that labor market conditions were softening. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits rose 8,000 to a seasonally adjusted 237,000 for the week ended August 30, the US Labor Department said.