India's BSE Sensex lost ground to close about 0.9% weaker at 81,537.7 on Friday, following Thursday's rebound, as continued foreign outflows and a mixed earnings season outweighed relief on easing geopolitical tensions. On the data front, Indian private sector growth accelerated in January 2026, driven by both manufacturing and services activity, preliminary data showed. Heavyweight Adani Group stocks were under pressure across the board, with losses between 5% and 10%, contributing significantly to the benchmarks’ decline. This followed the US Securities and Exchange Commission requesting court approval to personally email summonses to Indian billionaire Gautam Adani and group executive Sagar Adani over alleged fraud and a $265 million bribery scheme. Other top losers included Eternal (-5.8%), Indigo (-4%), Axis Bank (-3.1%), Power Grid (-2.1%) and Bajaj Finserv (-2.1%). For the week, the index posted a 2.4% decline. Markets will be closed on Monday for a public holiday.
US equities closed mixed on Friday, with the S&P 500 up 0.1%, the Nasdaq 100 adding 0.3% while the Dow dropped 0.6%, weighed down by weakness in financials and utilities while energy stocks outperformed. Nvidia gained 1.5%, extending support for the Nasdaq after reports that Chinese officials signaled domestic tech firms could prepare orders for its H200 AI chips, while AMD advanced 2.3%. In contrast, Intel plunged 17% after issuing a weaker-than-expected outlook and flagging ongoing operational challenges, dragging broader semiconductor sentiment. Elsewhere, Broadcom fell 1.7%, capping upside in mega-cap tech. Macro data offered mixed signals, with the University of Michigan sentiment index revised higher to a multi-month high even as flash S&P Global PMIs pointed to a mild cooling in both services and manufacturing. For the week, the S&P 500 was down 0.5% and the Dow losing 0.6%, while the Nasdaq added 0.2% reflecting lingering caution after recent vol.
