**Indian equity markets rise on Friday as Fed rate‑hike concerns ease**
Mumbai, India – Indian stocks finished higher on Friday, September 4, 2026, as worries about a forthcoming U.S. Federal Reserve rate hike subsided. The Nifty 50 gained 24.25 points (0.10 %) to close at 23,897.70, while the BSE Sensex rose 362.57 points (0.48 %) to finish at 76,515.43.
**Market drivers**
Analysts said the rally was largely a relief reaction to the easing of expectations for an imminent Fed rate increase. However, profit taking at elevated levels and ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East limited the upside. Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Investments Limited, noted that “Indian equities witnessed a relief rally as concerns over an imminent US Fed rate hike eased. Gains remained capped due to profit booking at higher levels and persistent geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.”
Nair added that investors were still focused on U.S. employment data due later on Friday, and that next week’s U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) release would be key to assessing the interest‑rate outlook. He said that “consensus expectations of a marginal decline in core inflation for August could strengthen expectations of a pause in Fed rate hikes and help contain bond‑yield volatility.”
**Domestic performance**
Sector‑specific buying was visible across the market, with small‑cap indices hitting fresh intraday lifetime highs. Among the National Stock Exchange (NSE) sectoral indices, the Nifty Metal index was the biggest gainer, up 1.27 %. Other major indices were under pressure: Nifty FMCG fell 0.07 %, Nifty IT declined 0.50 %, Nifty Pharma dropped 0.68 %, Nifty PSU Bank fell 0.26 %, and Nifty Realty lost 0.98 %. In the Nifty list, SBI Life, Tata Steel and HDFC Life were among the top gainers, while HCL Technologies, Maruti Suzuki, Max Health and Bharti Airtel were among the top losers.
Riyank Arora, Associate Vice President – HNI & Derivatives at Hedged.in, said the market’s ability to build on recent gains reflected underlying strength. “The broader trend remains firmly in the bulls’ favour as long as supports hold. Buying into dips in fundamentally strong names, with proper risk controls, remains our preferred approach,” he said.
**Commodities**
Brent crude oil prices remained high, trading at USD 95 per barrel. Gold fell 0.47 % to Rs 1,55,045 per 10 grams for 24‑karat gold, and silver traded at Rs 2,40,890 per kilogram.
**Other Asian markets**
Other Asian indices also closed higher on Friday: Japan’s Nikkei 225 up 1.30 % to 65,057; Singapore’s Straits Times Index up 1.05 % to 5,801; Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index up 1.73 % to 25,656; Taiwan’s weighted index up 1.49 % to 46,551; and South Korea’s KOSPI up 1.61 % to 6,687.
*Source: Singapore Star, September 4, 2026.*
Article and image source: singaporestar.com
