Stock market today: The Indian stock market is likely to open on a subdued note on Thursday, January 8, tracking mixed cues in Asian markets.

Meanwhile, early trends in Gift Nifty also pointed towards a negative start to Thursday’s session, as Gift Nifty was trading at 26,184, which is around 42 points or 0.16% down from the previous close.

On Wednesday, Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty 50 extended their losing streak to a third straight session on Wednesday, January 7, tracking mixed global signals.

The Sensex slipped 102 points, or 0.12%, to close at 84,961.14, while the Nifty 50 fell 38 points, or 0.14%, to settle at 26,140.75. In contrast, broader markets fared better, with the BSE Midcap and Smallcap indices gaining 0.47% and 0.12%, respectively.

“Markets ended Wednesday’s session on a subdued note, extending the ongoing corrective phase. The Nifty opened in negative territory and remained under pressure for most of the day, with only limited recovery attempts, eventually closing at the 26,140.75 level, down around 0.14%. Market sentiment continued to be shaped by mixed global cues and lingering geopolitical concerns, which kept risk appetite in check. In the absence of strong domestic triggers, trading activity remained largely stock-specific, with participants adopting a wait-and-watch approach ahead of upcoming earnings announcements and key macro developments,” said Ajit Mishra, SVP, Research, Religare Broking.

Here are the key things that changed since the stock market closed yesterday and may impact Sensex and Nifty 50 movement today:

Asian markets

Asian markets started Thursday on a mixed note after Wall Street ended lower amid rising geopolitical tensions and remarks from U.S. President Donald Trump.

In Japan, the benchmark Nikkei 225 opened 0.46% down, while the broader Topix slipped 0.27%. South Korea’s Kospi inched up 0.12%, and the small-cap Kosdaq gained 0.1%. Australia’s ASX/S&P 200 advanced 0.21%. Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index was poised for a weaker open, with futures at 26,348 compared with the previous close of 26,458.95.

Gift Nifty today

Gift Nifty trends pointed to a negative opening for domestic indices, with Gift Nifty trading at 26,184—down 42 points, or 0.16%, from the previous close of Nifty futures.

Wall Street

U.S. stock futures were largely flat during early Asian trading after the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average ended their three-day rally.

Overnight, the broader market slipped around 0.3%, while the Dow dropped 466 points, or about 0.9%. In contrast, the tech-focused Nasdaq Composite edged up nearly 0.2%, supported by a 2.4% surge in Alphabet, which pushed the Google parent’s market capitalisation past Apple’s for the first time since 2019.

US-Venezuela conflict

In the latest update, Trump reversed his stance on earlier remarks about Colombian President Gustavo Petro—whom he had accused of links to the drug trade—and said on Truth Social that the two leaders will hold a meeting.

“It was a Great Honor to speak with the President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, who called to explain the situation of drugs and other disagreements that we have had,” Trump wrote.

Venezuelan state oil firm Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) says it is in talks with the U.S. government about selling Venezuelan crude to American buyers.

US President Donald Trump recently announced that Venezuela’s interim authorities will transfer between 30 million and 50 million barrels of high-quality, sanctioned oil to the United States, where it will be sold at market prices. Trump said the revenue from these sales would be managed to benefit both Venezuelans and Americans.

Crude Oil Prices

Oil prices edged higher on Thursday, snapping a two-day losing streak, after a bigger-than-anticipated decline in U.S. crude inventories encouraged some investors to step back into futures, even as they kept an eye on developments in Venezuela.

Brent crude futures rose 38 cents, or 0.6%, to $60.34 a barrel by 0104 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate gained 37 cents, or 0.7%, to $56.36 a barrel.

Both benchmarks had dropped more than 1% for a second straight session on Wednesday, amid expectations of abundant global supply this year. Analysts, including those at Morgan Stanley, project a surplus of up to 3 million barrels per day in the first half of 2026.

Gold Prices

Gold prices slid more than 1% on Wednesday as investors locked in profits following the recent rally, though losses narrowed after weaker-than-expected U.S. jobs data strengthened expectations of Federal Reserve rate cuts.

Spot gold was down 0.9% at $4,445.32 an ounce at 1:36 p.m. ET (1836 GMT), after touching an intraday low of $4,422.89, a decline of up to 1.7%. Meanwhile, spot silver fell sharply, dropping 4.1% to $77.93 an ounce.

US Dollar

The dollar traded largely flat against major currencies such as the yen and the euro on Wednesday, as markets positioned themselves ahead of multiple U.S. labor market data releases scheduled this week.

It inched up 0.24% to 0.797 versus the Swiss franc and gained 0.08% to 156.75 against the Japanese yen.

Meanwhile, U.S. Labor Department data showed job openings declined more than anticipated in November and hiring slowed, indicating a continued cooling in labor demand.

(With inputs from agencies)