Indian equity benchmarks erased intra-day losses and ended higher on Friday, supported by improved markets sentiments after Moody’s pegged India’s growth at 6.5% for 2027. After a negative start, the indices soon turned volatile and traded mostly in the red, as investors remained cautious following data showing that foreign institutional investors (FIIs) had sold shares worth Rs 383.68 crore on Thursday. Last-hour buying in index heavyweight stocks, along with optimism among traders over the NDA’s lead in the 2025 Bihar election, helped the markets to recover their losses.

Some of the important factors in trade:

Moody's pegs India's growth at 6.5% for 2027: Some support came after Moody’s Ratings said it expects India - the fastest-growing G-20 economy - will grow at 6.5 per cent through 2027, supported by domestic and export diversification.

India negotiating trade pact with US, EU, other nations: Traders got some support as Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said that India is negotiating free trade agreements at present with countries, including the US, European Union, New Zealand, Oman, Peru and Chile.

India's wholesale inflation slips into negative zone in October: Traders took note of data that India's wholesale price index (WPI) inflation slipped into the negative zone in the month of October 2025, easing to (-) 1.21%, compared with 0.13% in September 2025.

Global front: European markets were trading in red as investors fretted about an artificial intelligence bubble and the outlook for U.S. interest rates. Asian markets ended mostly in red as investors were reacting to data that showed China's slowdown worsened in October, dragged by soft consumer demand and a deepening property downturn.

The BSE Sensex ended at 84562.78, up by 84.11 points or 0.10% after trading in a range of 84029.32 and 84697.87. There were 19 stocks advancing against 12 stocks declining on the index. (Provisional)

The broader indices ended mixed; the BSE Mid cap index fell 0.03%, while Small cap index was up by 0.06%. (Provisional)

The top gaining sectoral indices on the BSE were Telecom up by 0.62%, FMCG up by 0.54%, PSU up by 0.49%, Consumer Durables up by 0.36% and Bankex up by 0.31%, while IT down by 1.16%, Metal down by 0.87%, TECK down by 0.74%, Basic Materials down by 0.68% and Auto down by 0.55% were the top losing indices on BSE. (Provisional)

The top gainers on the Sensex were Eternal up by 1.97%, Bharat Electronics up by 1.70%, Trent up by 1.57%, Axis Bank up by 1.46% and SBI up by 1.34%. On the flip side, Infosys down by 2.58%, Tata Motors Passenger down by 1.62%, Tata Steel down by 1.39%, ICICI Bank down by 1.01% and Maruti Suzuki down by 0.59% were the top losers. (Provisional)

Meanwhile, India and Canada have held discussions on ways to promote bilateral trade and investments besides advancing collaborations in areas, including supply chain resilience, and health sectors. The issues were discussed during the India-Canada Ministerial Dialogue on Trade and Investment (MDTI) meeting. The commerce ministry has noted that the ministers from both sides reaffirmed their commitment to fostering an open, transparent, and predictable business environment that supports sustainable growth. Further, both sides have reviewed recent trade policy developments, covering trade in goods and services, and exchanged views to enhance market access, promote regulatory alignment, and support long-term economic resilience.

The discussions hold significance as Canada had paused negotiations for a free trade agreement with India in 2023. The India-Canada relations hit rock bottom following then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations in 2023 of a potential Indian link to the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India had dismissed Trudeau's accusation as ‘absurd’. During 2023, bilateral trade of goods and services between two countries stood at $18.38 billion. 

In 2024-25, India's exports to Canada rose 9.8 per cent to $4.22 billion from $3.84 billion in 2023-24. However, imports from Canada dipped 2.33 per cent to $4.44 billion in the last fiscal year from $4.55 billion in 2023-24. Meanwhile, ties between two countries have saw an improvement following the talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney on the margins of the G7 summit at Canada's Kananaskis in June.

The CNX Nifty ended at 25910.05, up by 30.90 points or 0.12% after trading in a range of 25740.80 and 25940.20. There were 31 stocks advancing against 20 stocks declining on the index. (Provisional)

The top gainers on Nifty were TMCV up by 3.20%, Eternal up by 2.02%, Bharat Electronics up by 1.68%, Trent up by 1.50% and SBI up by 1.45%. On the flip side, Infosys down by 2.53%, Eicher Motors down by 2.33%, Tata Motors Passenger down by 1.70%, JSW Steel down by 1.36% and Tata Steel down by 1.35% were the top losers. (Provisional)

European markets were trading lower; UK’s FTSE 100 decreased 133.48 points or 1.36% to 9,674.20, France’s CAC fell 78.99 points or 0.96% to 8,153.50, and Germany’s DAX lost 231.62 points or 0.96% to 23,810.00.

Asian markets settled down on Friday tracking a selloff on Wall Street overnight as investors scaled back expectations of interest rate cuts due to inflation worries and divisions among central bankers about the US economy's health, while investors grew cautious over lofty valuations driven by enthusiasm around artificial intelligence. Chinese and Hong Kong shares declined as a slew of Chinese data signalled a further loss of momentum in October. Moreover, Seoul shares fell even as the US agreeing to lower tariffs on Korean cars and auto parts and setting semiconductor tariff rates ‘no less favourable’ than those applied to Korea's competitors, such as Taiwan.