Indian shares are likely to open little changed on Wednesday, with focus squarely on U.S.-Iran peace talks, while shares of Coal India will be in the limelight on New Delhi’s plan to sell a stake in the state-run miner.
Iran said on Tuesday the U.S. had violated a ceasefire by striking targets near the contested Strait of Hormuz, potentially complicating efforts to bring the three-month-old war to a close.
Further straining peace efforts, Israel pounded Lebanon with more than 120 air strikes on Tuesday in one of the heaviest days of bombing in weeks, Lebanese security sources said. Iran has sought an end to Israeli attacks in Lebanon as part of any deal.
GIFT Nifty futures were at 23,890.5 as of 7:59 a.m, indicating the benchmark Nifty 50 would open near Tuesday’s close of 23,913.7 points.
The rupee is expected to weaken against the dollar.
Brent crude hovered around $99 a barrel, while Asian shares surged, with Japan’s Nikkei hitting a record high on AI optimism.
Foreign investors sold Indian shares worth ₹2408 crore on Tuesday, as per provisional data. Overseas investors have offloaded $24.2 billion so far this year, surpassing 2025’s record annual selloff.
On Wednesday, Coal India will be in focus as the government will sell up to a 2% stake in the state-owned company via an offer for sale at ₹412 per share, a discount of about 10% to its last closing price.
STOCKS TO WATCH
** Oil and Natural Gas Corp reports modest growth in fourth-quarter revenue and profit. Jefferies says higher operational expenses and dry well write-offs led to a soft quarter.
** Siemens posts lower profit for March quarter, with a sharper rise in expenses compared to revenue.
** Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corp reports lower quarterly profit amid a surge in catering services expenses.