Pre-Market 15 May 2026: Markets Rally on US-China Trade Progress; GIFT Nifty Signals Firm Opening

Markets head into Friday after benchmark indices posted a strong recovery in the previous session. The BSE Sensex climbed 790 points to settle at 75,398.72, while the Nifty 50 advanced 1.18% to close at 23,689.60 on 14 May 2026.

What Happened In Thursday’s Session?

Indian equities extended their rebound on Thursday as global sentiment improved following fresh signs of progress in trade discussions between the US and China. Market sentiment strengthened after China’s President Xi Jinping said trade talks with Washington were moving in the right direction during the summit with US President Donald Trump.

The two leaders also agreed that the Strait of Hormuz should remain open to ensure uninterrupted global energy movement, according to a White House readout.

The recovery was broad-based. Pharma, healthcare and metal stocks led the rally during the session. The IT index was the only major sectoral loser, falling 1.99%. The Nifty Midcap 100 index rose 1.12%, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 index ended largely flat.

Meanwhile, the rupee settled at a record low of 95.77 against the US dollar. The currency, however, recovered from intraday lows on expectations that the government could consider tax relief measures linked to foreign investment in bond allocations.

Despite Thursday’s recovery, analysts noted that Nifty continues to trade below key short-term moving averages, suggesting that near-term momentum is yet to fully stabilise.

Global Cues After Market Hours

Global markets remained firm after Indian trading hours.

On Wall Street, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq touched fresh intraday record highs as investors tracked economic data and developments around the high-level US-China summit.

On 14 May 2026, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 370.26 points or 0.75%, to 50,063.46. The S&P 500 rose 56.99 points or 0.77% to 7,501.24, while the Nasdaq Composite added 232.88 points or 0.88% to 26,635.22.

European markets also traded higher. The FTSE 100 Index advanced 47.58 points or 0.46% to 10,372.93, while France’s CAC 40 Index gained 74.30 points or 0.93% to 8,082.27.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index declined 325.19 points or 0.52% to 62,328.86, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index was marginally higher, up 0.60 points at 26,389.04.

GIFT Nifty Update

GIFT Nifty traded at 23,801.00, up 71.50 points or 0.30% as of 14 May 2026, 21:35 IST. The trend pointed to a gap-up for domestic equities on Friday.

Technical Levels To Watch

Nifty is approaching an important resistance zone after Thursday’s sharp recovery.

• Immediate support is seen around 23,580–23,550

• The recent swing low of 23,262 is a crucial support level in the near term

• A sustained breakout above this zone could open the path towards 24,000

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What Should Investors Expect Today?

Markets may remain stock-specific on Friday as investors track global trade developments and technical resistance levels.

Thursday’s rebound improved short-term sentiment after a volatile start to the week.

GIFT Nifty trends indicate a firm opening for domestic equities. However, investors are also likely to watch movements in global equities, institutional activity and currency trends through the session.

Sources:

The Hindu Business Line

CNBC TV18

Reuters