Sensex, Nifty Set To Fall On US Recession Fears

(RTTNews) - Indian shares look set to open lower on Thursday after a slew of data showed the U.S. economy was rapidly losing momentum towards the end of last year.

Private sector banks could be in focus today after IndusInd Bank beat forecasts with a 53 percent rise in Q3 profit.

Benchmark indexes Sensex and Nifty climbed around 0.6 percent each on Wednesday to extend gains for a second day running while the rupee gained 4 paise to close at 81.25 against the dollar.

Asian markets traded mostly lower this morning on fears the U.S. economy may fall into recession in the first half of this year.

The dollar rose against a basket of currencies as risk-aversion gripped global markets. Gold and oil prices were slightly lower on dollar strength. U.S. 10-year Treasury yields stabilized after falling to a four-month low on Wednesday.

U.S. stocks reversed course to end sharply lower overnight, as investors reacted to weak economic data and comments from St. Louis Fed President James Bullard and Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester expressing support for raising rates beyond 5 percent.

Retail sales, producer prices and production at U.S. factories fell more than expected in December, rekindling concerns over the outlook for growth and corporate earnings.

The Dow plunged 1.8 percent, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite lost 1.2 percent and the S&P 500 shed 1.6 percent.

European stocks ended mixed on Wednesday, as China ramped up COVID preparations ahead of the Lunar New Year holidays and data showed inflation in the United Kingdom eased further for the second consecutive month.

The pan European STOXX 600 rose 0.2 percent to extend its winning streak for a sixth straight session as IMF chief said growth will bottom out in 2023.

The German DAX finished marginally lower and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 slipped 0.3 percent while France's CAC 40 index ended flat with a positive bias.