SynopsisIndian equities closed higher Wednesday, ending a two-day slump. The market remains range-bound, with traders anticipating a clear direction. Analysts suggest a bullish outlook persists above 23,800, eyeing a potential rise to 24,200. Meanwhile, market volatility eased, and foreign investors were net sellers, while domestic institutions bought shares.Listen to this article in summarized formatAgencies India VIX, which is a measure of the fear in the markets, fell 2.6% to settle at 13.24 levels.Indian equity benchmark Nifty index witnessed a positive close on Wednesday, snapping its two-session losing streak. Analysts say the overall market texture remains range-bound, with traders awaiting a decisive breakout for the next directional move.STATE OF THE MARKETSGIFT Nifty (Earlier SGX Nifty) signals a positive startGIFT Nifty on the NSE IX traded higher by 148.5 points, or 0.62 per cent, at 24,192.50, signaling that Dalal Street was headed for a positive start on Thursday.Tech View: Going forward, analysts say the bullish bias is likely to remain intact as long as the Nifty holds above the 23,800 support level. On the higher side, the index may continue its slow but steady upward trajectory, with the potential to move towards 24,200 and higher over the near term.India VIX: India VIX, which is a measure of the fear in the markets, fell 2.6% to settle at 13.24 levels.US stocks end lowerU.S. stocks finished slightly lower on Wednesday with falling technology shares, but gains in Meta Platforms provided some support along with comments from Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh that inflation risks had eased recently. Warsh also said he will stick firmly to the U.S. central ‌bank's 2% inflation ⁠target and "disappoint" ⁠anyone who expects loose monetary policy despite President Donald Trump's call for interest rate cuts.Asian stocks fallAsian stocks fell for the first time in four days after a selloff in chipmakers revived concerns that the artificial intelligence-driven rally may have gone too far, too fast.S&P 500 futures fell 0.1% as of 9:46 a.m. Tokyo timeHang Seng futures were unchangedJapan’s Topix rose 0.2%Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.5%Euro Stoxx 50 futures fell 0.3%Oil slipsOil prices dropped in early trade on Thursday after Qatar said Iran and the U.S. had made "positive progress" in indirect talks that concluded on Wednesday, focused on the Strait of Hormuz, which handled one-fifth of global oil supply before the war.Gold extend gainsGold prices extended gains on Thursday, after hitting a more than one-week high in the previous session, as investors took stock of softer-than-expected jobs data, while lower oil prices lent additional support to bullion.Dollar steadyThe dollar held steady on Thursday as markets awaited key U.S. non-farm payrolls data, while the yen's slide to 40-year lows against the greenback and thin trading ahead of a U.S. holiday kept traders on high alert for intervention.Stocks in F&O ban today1) NILSecurities in the ban period under the F&O segment include companies in which the security has crossed 95% of the market-wide position limit.RupeeThe Indian rupee fell to a near three-week low on Wednesday, tracking declines in Asian currencies as investors turned cautious ahead of remarks from the US Federal Reserve chair and uncertainty over U.S.-Iran negotiations.(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of Economic Times)Read More News on(What's moving Sensex and Nifty Track latest market news, stock tips, Budget 2025, Share Market on Budget 2025 and expert advice, on ETMarkets. Also, ETMarkets.com is now on Telegram. For fastest news alerts on financial markets, investment strategies and stocks alerts, subscribe to our Telegram feeds .) Subscribe to ET Prime and read the Economic Times ePaper Online.and Sensex Today. Top Trending Stocks: SBI Share Price, Axis Bank Share Price, HDFC Bank Share Price, Infosys Share Price, Wipro Share Price, NTPC Share Price...moreless(You can now subscribe to our ETMarkets WhatsApp channel)Read More News on(What's moving Sensex and Nifty Track latest market news, stock tips, Budget 2025, Share Market on Budget 2025 and expert advice, on ETMarkets. Also, ETMarkets.com is now on Telegram. For fastest news alerts on financial markets, investment strategies and stocks alerts, subscribe to our Telegram feeds .) Subscribe to ET Prime and read the Economic Times ePaper Online.and Sensex Today. Top Trending Stocks: SBI Share Price, Axis Bank Share Price, HDFC Bank Share Price, Infosys Share Price, Wipro Share Price, NTPC Share Price...moreless