The Indian stock market is expected to start on a slightly weaker note on Friday (August 14), as indicated by the GIFT Nifty. According to reports from ET Now, as of 8:15 am IST, the GIFT Nifty was trading 0.1 per cent, or 28.5 points, lower at 24,434.50. The GIFT Nifty serves as a pre-market indicator for the Nifty 50 and often signals whether the benchmark index is likely to open higher, lower or flat based on global market cues.
Ahead of the trading session, SEBI-registered research analyst Kunal Bothra has recommended several stocks that could potentially generate gains for investors during Friday's session. As reported by ET Now, Poonawalla Fincorp is recommended with a share price target of ₹525 and current price of ₹485. Oberoi Realty is also suggested with a share price target of ₹1,940 and current price of ₹1,775. Additionally, Havells India Ltd emerges as a potential investment opportunity with a market capitalization of ₹80,189.83 and recent dividend declaration of 0.78% per share for the 2025-26 financial year.
The broader market remained resilient with the Nifty Midcap index gaining 0.15% and the Nifty Smallcap index advancing 0.3%, indicating appetite for select broader-market stocks despite weakness in heavyweight financial and metal stocks. The Nifty Realty index rose 1%, making it one of the best-performing sectoral indices, with Oberoi Realty rising 2.6% and Lodha Developers gaining 1.9%. The Nifty IT index advanced 0.4% and Nifty Consumer Durables index gained 0.45%, while the Nifty Metal index fell 1% and Nifty Private Bank index declined 0.5%.
The Nifty faces support at 24,000 and resistance at 24,500 levels, according to ET Now reports. In Asian markets, Japan's Nikkei 225 rose around 1 per cent to 68,819, while South Korea's KOSPI traded around 1.5 per cent higher at 6,910.12. However, Hong Kong's Hang Seng traded 0.7 per cent lower at 25,226 and China's Shanghai Composite ticked lower to 3,919.19.
The 30-share BSE benchmark Sensex gained 113.61 points, or 0.15 per cent, to close at 78,079.96, as reported by ET Now. Meanwhile, the NSE Nifty fell 40.10 points, or 0.16 per cent, to close at 24,395.85. These gains in some Asian markets could lend support to domestic equities despite the weaker opening indicators.
