Indian shares likely to open higher; caution ahead of new Iran sanctions

Indian shares were poised to open modestly higher on Monday, following two weeks of decline, despite a cautious outlook as traders awaited details of prospective U.S. sanctions on Iran later in the day. GIFT Nifty futures were trading at 24,378 points as of 7:47 a.m. IST, suggesting a favorable opening for the benchmark Nifty 50 index, which had closed at 24,252 on Friday.

Iran's foreign minister scoffed at the prospect of additional U.S. sanctions on Sunday, stating that the impending measures would prove ineffective against Tehran. The ongoing six-month conflict between the U.S. and Iran has spurred a rise in global energy prices, fueling inflation concerns. As the world's third-largest crude oil importer, India has witnessed a surge in foreign equity outflows this year, primarily attributed to surging crude prices.

Last week, the Nifty 50 and the BSE Sensex declined by 0.5% and 0.6% respectively, driven by escalating crude oil prices and bond yields fueled by the intensifying Middle East war. This marked the second consecutive week of losses for both indices. "Persistent Middle East tensions and elevated crude oil prices continue to dampen risk appetite," commented Ponmudi R, CEO of Enrich Money.

Brent crude futures slipped 2% but remained robust at $93 per barrel, following a 13% surge over the past fortnight. Asian equities hovered flat as investors awaited specifics on the impending U.S. sanctions on Iran and Nvidia's earnings later in the week, while the Canadian dollar slipped amid looming trade tensions with its southern neighbor.