The robust export performance, coupled with a compression of imports led by gold, has led to a substantial narrowing in the current account deficit to comfortable levels.
The 30-share Sensex ended 56 points lower at at 20660 levels and the 50-share Nifty scrapped 14 points at 6155 levels.
Market participants said expectations of a rise in interest rates by the RBI and US Fed's comments on its stimulus programme are likely to keep the market nervous in the week ahead.
The RBI is widely expected to raise its key repo rate by 25 basis points to 8.00 per cent on Wednesday, its third such hike in four months after recent data showed both wholesale and retail inflation at multi-month highs.
While Goldman Sachs says India will see a transition, HSBC feels structural imbalances will lead to cloudy outlook for markets.
The precious metal spurted to regain Rs 27,000 level after June 24 as it rose in global markets following Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S Bernanke backed sustained stimulus for the for some time.
December is packed with key economic and political events, both at the domestic and the global level, which will decide how foreign institutional investors (FIIs) fine tune their investment strategies
The number of draft red herring prospectuses (DRHPs) filed with the markets regulator - Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) - jumped nearly fivefold to 145 in 2021-22 (FY22), compared with just 30 in the preceding financial year (2020-21, or FY21). This was on account of companies rushing to take advantage of a favourable market sentiment towards initial public offerings (IPOs), triggered by an influx of new investors, surge in the secondary market, and encouraging performance of newly listed stocks. In fact, DRHPs filed in FY22 was 4x the previous 10-year average and the highest since 2007-08, according to primary market tracker PRIME Database.
In the latest large opinion poll, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies were forecast to win a narrow majority in the 543-seat lower house of parliament, compared with previous surveys predicting that they would fall short.
With the US housing and labour markets on the mend, the healing looks more durable, say RBS's Sanjay Mathur and Louis Kuijs.
The rupee on Thursday plunged by a whopping 130 paise to hit life-time low of 60 against the US dollar in early trade on the Interbank Foreign Exchange on strong demand for the American currency from banks and importers
The 30-share Sensex closed 80 points lower at 21,753 levels while the 50-unit NSE Nifty index was down 38 points at 6486 levels. Benchmarks plunged to their lowest levels since March 06, 2014.
US Federal Reserve Chairper Janet Yellen hinted at raising interest rates sooner than expected, in her first press conference after assuming the top job at US central bank.
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