The Indian stock market witnessed a flurry of activity over the weekend, influenced by both domestic and international factors. Here are ten key developments that could impact market performance this week:

1. GIFT Nifty Signals Positive Start: The GIFT Nifty, formerly known as SGX Nifty, indicates a potentially positive opening for the Indian market. As of October 20, 2025, the GIFT Nifty was trading higher, suggesting a follow-through from Friday's positive close. The GIFT Nifty serves as an early indicator of the Nifty 50's movement, especially before Indian market hours. It has now fully transitioned to GIFT City, Gujarat.

2. Positive Close to Last Week: The Indian stock market closed on a positive note on Friday, with the Sensex gaining 484 points (0.58%) to close at 83,967, and the Nifty 50 rising 125 points (0.49%) to settle at 25,709. Buying was strong in FMCG and automobile sectors, while the IT sector faced some selling pressure.

3. US-India Trade Deal Progress: Trade negotiations between India and the United States are progressing, with officials indicating that no major differences remain. Both countries aim to finalize the first tranche of the proposed bilateral trade agreement by October-November 2025. The proposed agreement seeks to more than double India-US trade to $500 billion by 2030. India is keen to safeguard the interests of its farmers, fishermen, and MSME sector in any trade deal. The US has been India's largest trading partner for the fourth consecutive year in 2024-25.

4. China's Loan Prime Rates (LPR) Unchanged: The People's Bank of China (PBOC) has kept its one-year and five-year Loan Prime Rates (LPR) unchanged. The one-year LPR remains at 3.0%, while the five-year LPR, which influences mortgage rates, is steady at 3.5%. This decision was widely expected by market participants.

5. Global Market Cues: Global markets may provide further direction to the Indian market this week. Investors are closely monitoring crude oil prices, gold rates, and currency movements for cues.

6. Technical Outlook: Technical analysis suggests a positive outlook for the Nifty 50. Analysts expect further gains, with potential upside targets visible on the charts.

7. FII Flows: Sustained foreign fund inflows have been supporting the Indian stock market. Investor confidence has also been boosted by diminishing concerns about asset quality in the financial sector.

8. Sectoral Performance: Consumption-driven sectors have shown robust performance, and there has been a widespread rebound across real estate, healthcare, and banking.

9. Company Specific News: Analysts have revised price targets for some key stocks. There have been slight upward revisions for Hindustan Unilever and HDFC Bank, and a downward revision for Tata Consultancy Services.

10. Caution Advised: Despite the overall positive sentiment, analysts remain cautiously optimistic ahead of upcoming earnings reports. Global uncertainties, such as trade frictions, continue to be a concern for investors.