Sensex, Nifty Open Lower Despite Firm Global Cues; Metal Stocks Rally

The Hong Kong stock market has moved higher in five straight sessions, gathering almost 1,300 points or 5.1 percent in that span. The Hang Seng Index now sits just beneath the 25,670-point plateau although it's expected to see profit taking on Friday.

The Australian stock market is trading notably lower on Friday, extending the losses in the previous session, following the mixed cues from Wall Street overnight. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 is falling below the 8,700 level, with weakness in mining and financial stocks partially offset by gains in energy and technology stocks.

The China stock market has finished higher in six straight sessions, collecting more than 100 points or 2.8 percent along the way. The Shanghai Composite Index now sits just above the 3,600-point plateau although it's likely to see a downward correction on Friday.

The Taiwan stock market has moved higher in consecutive trading days, gathering almost 400 points or 1.8 percent along the way. The Taiwan Stock Exchange now sits just beneath the 23,375-point plateau and it may see mild upside again on Friday.

Producer prices in Japan were up 3.2 percent on year in June, the Bank of Japan said on Friday.

The Singapore stock market has moved higher in 14 straight sessions, improving more than 250 points or 6.2 percent along the way. The Straits Times Index now rests just above the 4,270-point plateau although it's overdue for consolidation on Friday.

Overall consumer prices in the Tokyo region of Japan were up 2.9 percent on year in July, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said on Friday.

Canadian stock market retreated from record highs on Thursday as investors opted for profit-taking amid ongoing talks with the U.S. for tariff finalization moving without a breakthrough. After opening just below Wednesday's close, the benchmark S&P/TSX Composite Index, slid for a while but managed to rise and hit an intra-day high of 27,479.01 before noon. However, unable to hold on the momentum, it slid down for the rest of the trading session to finally settle at 27,372.26, down by 44.15 or 0.16 percent. As countries are pacing up their efforts to secure a trade agreement with the U.S. with the deadline for "reciprocal tariffs" suspension period close by, Canadian diplomats are seriously negotiating with their US counterparts for a beneficial agreement. Accusing Canada of failing to check illicit drug entry into the U.S. via US-Canadian borders, U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to slam Canada with 35 percent levies on top of the already-existing tariffs. Trump has already imposed a 25 percent blanket tariffs on certain Canadian imports and a 50 percent levy on aluminum and steel. Stakes for Canada are high in this trade war as 75 percent of Canadian exports are primarily directed to the U.S. PM Mark Carney has reiterated that Canada cannot settle for a "bad deal" by ignoring what it costs to Canadian economy. While bilateral talks continue, Carney has also stepped up measures to find ways to cut budgetary spends massively to rebuild the economy. He has encouraged the ministers and business houses to find marketplaces outside of U.S. for Canadian exports. Data released by Statistics Canada revealed that retail sales in Canada bounced back by around 1.6 percent in June, month-on-month. Retail sales increased 4.90 percent in May 2025 compared to May 2024, year-on-year. Meanwhile, retail turnover fell by 1.1 percent from May. Results of Business Outlook Survey by BoC released last week revealed that business owners are less pessimistic about a recession now than they were a year prior. As employment data revealed gain in jobs and a decline in the jobless rates days before, expectations are slim that Bank of Canada will make any changes in the lending rates in their announcement scheduled for July 30. Major sectors that gained in Thursday's trading were real estate (1.06 percent), energy (0.95 percent), healthcare (0.89 percent), and consumer staples (0.48 percent). Among the individual stocks, Colliers International Group Inc (1.76 percent), Vermillion Energy Inc (3.40 percent), Athabasca Oil Corp (2.99 percent), and Bausch Health Companies Inc (2.44 percent) were the prominent gainers. Major sectors that lost were financials, IT, consumer discretionary and materials. Among the individual stocks, Blackberry Ltd (3.05 percent), Bitfarms Ltd (2.87 percent), Orla Mining Ltd (14.36 percent), and Teck Resources Ltd (8.67 percent) were the notable losers. Firstservice Corp (8.89 percent), Energy Fuels Inc (5.52 percent), and Whitecap Resources Inc (5.89 percent) were among the prime market-moving stocks.