Stock Market Cues Today: Iran Protests, India-US Trade Talks, US Inflation, Crude Oil Prices Among Other Triggers

Market participants on January 14 are expected to take cues from a host of domestic and global cues, including the ongoing Iran protests, latest development in India-US trade talks, retail inflation numbers in the US, crude oil prices, and other macro triggers.

In the previous session on January 13, benchmark indices ended lower after paring intraday gains as rising geopolitical and economic concerns weighed on sentiment. The headline indices witnesses selling pressure after the US President Donald Trump’s announcement of a 25 per cent tariff on countries trading with Iran.

The Sensex closed at 83,627.69, down 250.48 points or 0.30 per cent, while the Nifty 50 ended at 25,732.30, slipping 57.95 points or 0.22 per cent.

Stock Market Cues To Watch On Jan 14

Following are the key market cues that are likely to influence trade on the D-Street on January 14:

India-US Trade Talks

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on January 13 said he held a telephonic conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on bilateral trade, critical minerals, nuclear cooperation, defence and energy.

The call comes after several attempts to strike a trade deal failed last year. The call also comes as India and the US aim to more than double bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030, and after India commited to buy more US energy and defence equipment to help narrow the trade gap.

Iran Protests: Russia Is Taking Interest

US President Trump on January 13 urged Iranian protesters to continue their demonstrations, and promised that “help is on its way” without offering further details.

“Iranian patriots, KEEP PROTESTING – TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!! Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price. I have cancelled all meetings with Iranian officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Earlier, Trump had said the US military was considering “very strong options” on Iran. His remarks drew sharp criticisms from Iranian officials.

Now, Russia also seems to be taking interest in the turmoil, as it issued a strict warning to the US. Moscow said any threats of new military strikes on Iran were “categorically unacceptable” and condemned what it described as “subversive external interference” in Tehran’s internal affairs.

US Inflation December 2025

US consumer price index (CPI)-based inflation rose 0.30 per cent month-on-month in December, led by a 0.4 per cent increase in shelter costs, which includes rents. Higher food prices also contributed to inflationary pressures.

The higher December inflation print strengthened expectations that the US Federal Reserve will leave interest rates unchanged this month.

US Stock Market

Wall Street’s main indices ended lower overnight, weighed down by a sell-off in financial stocks after JPMorgan executives flagged risks to profits and consumers from US President Trump’s proposal to cap credit-card interest rates at 10 per cent. Losses were partly cushioned as December inflation data came in line with expectations, according to Reuters.

The Dow Jones fell 0.80 per cent, the S&P 500 slipped 0.19 per cent, and the Nasdaq Composite declined 0.10 per cent.

Asian Stock Markets

Asian markets were largely trading higher in early trade on January 14. Japanese stocks led gains on optimism over fresh fiscal stimulus, while Chinese equities found support from continued enthusiasm around artificial intelligence (AI) and a rally in chip stocks. However, broader regional sentiment remained cautious, tracking overnight losses on Wall Street amid a sharp sell-off in US bank shares.

At the time of writing, Japan’s Nikkei 225 traded higher by 1.65 per cent, hitting fresh record highs, China’s CSI 300 index was up by more than a per cent, and the Hong Kong-based Hang Seng traded up by 0.91 per cent, while South Korea’s Kospi traded higher by 0.30 per cent.

Rupee vs US Dollar

The rupee (INR) strengthened against the US dollar (USD) on January 14. The USD/INR pair traded at 90.07, down 0.20 per cent from the previous close. The pair moved within a range of 89.85–90.36 during early trade.

Meanwhile, the US Dollar Index futures, which measure the greenback against a collection of world's six major currencies, was little unchanged, quoting at 98.94

Gold and silver Rate Today

Gold and Silver rate today jumped to fresh all-time highs after in-line US inflation data suggested that the Fed might leave interest rates unchanged.

On the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), Gold futures rose more than 0.60 per cent to hit its record high of Rs 1,43,173 per 10 grama, while Silver futures jumped over 4 per cent to hit its lifetime high of Rs 2,87,990 per kilogram.

Crude Oil Prices

Crude oil prices eased in early trade on January 14 after jumping about 2.50 per cent in the previous session.

As of the time of writing, the Brent crude oil futures traded at $65.33 per barrel, down 0.21 per cent, while the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil futures quoted at $60.98 per barrel, down by 0.28 per cent.