Stock market today: Indian markets closed for Good Friday, Asian indices trade higher

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Indian stock exchanges remained closed on Friday on account of the Good Friday holiday, halting domestic trading activity for the day. However, several other Asian markets continued their upward march, with key indices registering modest gains amidst relatively quiet global cues.

As per ANI, Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 advanced by 0.66 per cent, buoyed by continued investor confidence. Similarly, Taiwan's weighted index edged higher by 0.58 per cent, while South Korea's KOSPI also saw an uptick of 0.27 per cent at the time of reporting. Apart from these, several other Asian markets remained closed in observance of regional holidays, resulting in subdued activity across the continent.

Back in India, even though trading floors are shut for the holiday, a number of corporate earnings are scheduled to be declared today. These include quarterly financial results from companies such as Just Dial, Mastek, Network 18 Media & Investments, Laxmi Goldorna House, Amal, Yaari Digital Integrated Services, Teamo Productions, and Jay Kailash Namkeen. Investors and analysts alike are expected to closely monitor these announcements for insights into sectoral performance and broader market direction.

On Thursday, April 17, Indian equities witnessed substantial participation from overseas investors. According to figures reported by ANI, Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs), also referred to as Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs), were net buyers in the cash segment. They purchased shares worth Rs 18,210.41 crore and offloaded holdings to the tune of Rs 13,542.47 crore, thereby resulting in a net inflow of Rs 4,667.94 crore.

In contrast, Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) were net sellers, with total purchases amounting to Rs 13,773.79 crore against sales worth Rs 15,779.94 crore, leading to a net outflow of Rs 2,006.15 crore.

Globally, market signals remained mixed. U.S. stock futures presented a divergent trend - Dow Jones futures plunged sharply by 521 points or 1.32 per cent to 39,148, whereas Nasdaq futures saw a marginal rise of 30 points or 0.17 per cent to 18,287, as per ANI.

In Europe, the sentiment was predominantly bearish. France's CAC futures slipped by 33 points or 0.45 per cent to 7,298. Germany's DAX futures dropped by 145 points or 0.68 per cent to 21,331, and the U.K.'s FTSE futures declined by 35 points or 0.42 per cent to 8,242.

(With inputs from ANI)