Global cues are mixed-to-cautious heading into the session: Wall Street eased from record highs, crude is holding firm near $88 Brent, and GIFT Nifty points to a flat-to-soft open for the Nifty — with firm oil and lingering geopolitical tension the single biggest weight on Indian sentiment.

US — prior close (Fri, Aug 14)

Wall Street slipped from record territory as oil pressured stocks. Per Yahoo Finance and CNBC: the S&P 500 fell 0.2% to 7,785.76 (after an intraday record above 7,800 on Thursday), the Dow lost 108 pts (-0.2%) to 53,732.41, and the Nasdaq eased 0.3% to 26,729.16. The S&P still booked a third straight weekly gain.

Asia — trading now

• Nikkei 225: +0.29% (~68,915)
• Hang Seng: +1.6%
• Shanghai Composite: -0.84%
• Kospi: shut for a market holiday

Europe — Friday close

DAX +1.2% to 30,686; FTSE 100 ~10,752 (-0.2%); the Euro Stoxx 50 sits near record highs around 6,560 (Trading Economics / 24/7 Wall St.).

India lead — GIFT Nifty

GIFT Nifty ~24,416 versus a prior close of 24,421.5, signalling a flat-to-slightly-lower Nifty open (Business Standard, NiftyTrader).

Commodities, currency & rates

• Brent ~$88.3/bbl and WTI ~$81.5 — firm oil is the key India headwind (imported inflation, OMC margins).
• Gold near $4,400/oz on a softer dollar.
• USD/INR ~95.4-95.7; Dollar Index (DXY) ~99.7; US 10Y yield ~4.69%.

Global sentiment

Mildly risk-off: firm crude, Middle-East geopolitical worries and sticky US yields are tempering the record-chasing mood.

Economic data on the radar

US today: NY Empire State Manufacturing (est 10.2 vs 15.6 prior) and the NAHB Housing Market Index (est 35 vs 34). Later this week: US housing starts, building permits and industrial production (Tue). India: WPI has been running hot (9.87% in June); watch upcoming trade-deficit and IIP prints. A soft US read would revive Fed rate-cut hopes and support EM flows into India; a hot print does the opposite.

Headlines & movers

• IT under pressure — Infosys, TCS and HCLTech among early laggards.
• Realty, auto & metals outperforming — Oberoi Realty, Godrej Properties and Brigade Enterprises higher.
• RBI to shut its special FCNR/NRI dollar-deposit window a month early; short-tenor bond yields eased on the news.

What it means for the India open

Expect a cautious, range-bound start: firm oil and soft global cues cap the upside while metals, autos and realty offer pockets of strength. With no fresh domestic trigger, direction through the day likely hinges on crude, the rupee and FII flows.

As of ~14:10 IST (delayed automated run). Sources: Yahoo Finance, CNBC, Business Standard, NiftyTrader, Trading Economics, FXStreet. Automated pre-market brief for discussion and education only — not investment advice. Verify before acting.