The domestic equity indices traded with major gains in early trade, following the U.S. Federal Reserve's decision to cut interest rates by a quarter point in an effort to prevent further deterioration in the labor market of the world's largest economy.

The Nifty traded above the 25,400 level. Barring the metal index, all sectoral indices traded higher on the NSE.

At 09:30 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, added 363.31 points or 0.45% to 83,059.91. The Nifty 50 index rose 93.30 points or 0.36% to 25,424.55.

In the broader market, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index rose 0.13% and the S&P BSE Small-Cap index added 0.32%.

The market breadth was strong. On the BSE, 2,058 shares rose and 1,074 shares fell. A total of 178 shares were unchanged.

Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares worth Rs 1,124.54 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net buyers to the tune of Rs 2,293.53 crore in the Indian equity market on 17 September 2025, provisional data showed.

Stocks in Spotlight:

Muthoot Microfin rose 0.94%. The company announced that its board has approved raising up to Rs 75 crore through the issuance of up to 7,500 listed, rated, senior, secured, transferable, redeemable, non-convertible debentures (NCDs) on a private placement basis.

Cochin Shipyard added 1.81% after the company announced that it has signed an agreement with ONGC for dry dock/major lay-up repairs of a jack-up rig. The estimated contract value is around Rs 200 crore.

Numbers to Track:

The yield on India's 10-year benchmark federal paper added 0.45% to 6.495 from the previous close of 6.466.

In the foreign exchange market, the rupee edged lower against the dollar. The partially convertible rupee was hovering at 87.9750 compared with its close of 87.8500 during the previous trading session.

MCX Gold futures for 3 October 2025 settlement shed 0.51% to Rs 109,251.

The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the greenback's value against a basket of currencies, was down 0.02% to 97.05.

The United States 10-year bond yield shed 0.17% to 4.070.

In the commodities market, Brent crude for November 2025 settlement shed 13 cents or 0.19% to $68.34 a barrel.

Global Markets:

Asia market traded mixed on Thursday after the Federal Reserve lowered its benchmark rate as expected yesterday.

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell described the decision as a risk management cut rather than something more directed at shoring up a weak economy.

The Fed also indicated two more rate cuts could be made by the year's end, another in 2026, one more in 2027, and no cuts in 2028.

The Bank of Japan (BoJ) is kick-starting its two-day policy meeting, where it is expected by most economists to keep policy rates steady.

According to reports, the Bank of Japan is likely to leave policy rates unchanged at its upcoming meeting. However, a 25-basis point hike is possible in October, which would take the policy rate to 0.75%.

Meanwhile, China's central bank left a key interest rate unchanged on Thursday, as authorities appear in no rush to ease monetary settings. Resilient exports and a sharp stock market rally have allowed policymakers to withhold fresh stimulus even with a broader economic slowdown, media reports stated.

Overnight in the U.S., markets ended mixed after a choppy session. Although the rate cut had been widely expected, investors appeared uncertain about its broader implications.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average briefly touched a record high before paring gains but still managed to finish 260.42 points higher, or 0.6%, at 46,018.32. In contrast, the S&P 500 slipped 0.1% to close at 6,600.35, while the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.3% to 22,261.33.

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