Nifty’s stock market saga is heating up! Last week, the index zoomed close to its lifetime high of 26,277, touching 26,246.65 on Thursday. It ended the week with a sweet gain of 0.6%, mostly thanks to strong buying in IT, auto, and banking stocks. But on Friday, it slipped 124 points, closing at 26,068.15, keeping investors on their toes. What’s next? Pravesh Gour, Senior Technical Analyst at Swastika Investmart, shared a hot tip: “Nifty will be driven primarily by global cues this week as no major domestic macro announcements are scheduled. This leaves the Indian equity market more sensitive to international developments, currency movements, and FII activity.” Keep your eyes peeled for key US reports like core PPI, retail sales, and October’s PCE inflation data. Any surprise upward could push US Treasury yields higher and the dollar stronger, often triggering foreign investors to pull money out of India. Plus, the thin global liquidity due to the US Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday could stir more market swings. Here’s the spicy market mix to watch: 1. US Markets: US stocks ended strong on Friday after John Williams, Federal Reserve Bank of New York President, hinted at "room for a further adjustment" in policy rates, fueling hopes for another Fed rate cut next month. The Dow jumped over 490 points! This Wall Street rally is likely to inspire Indian markets too. 2. Corporate Actions: Keep an eagle eye on six stocks turning ex-dividend this week, including Ingersoll-Rand India and Power Finance Corporation. Next week, HDFC Asset Management and Thyrocare Technologies will trade ex-bonus, shaking up shareholder perks. Meanwhile, Infosys will wrap up its massive Rs 18,000 crore share buyback on November 26. 3. FII/DII Moves: Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) were sellers last week, offloading shares worth Rs 188 crore, with a big Rs 1,766 crore exit on Friday alone. But Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) danced the buyers’ tune, scooping up Rs 3,161.61 crore in equities. 4. Technical Tweaks: According to Nilesh Jain from Centrum Broking, Nifty is forming “higher tops and higher bottoms” and is close to breaking its immediate resistance at 26,200. Yet, some profit booking is holding it back. He warns volatility is a concern, especially if the volatility index stays above 13. A breakthrough could unlock new records near 26,300. 5. Rupee Drama: The Indian rupee is under pressure! It hit a fresh all-time low of 89.65 against the US dollar on Friday, closing at 89.61. US sanctions on some Indian firms dealing with Iran’s oil trade and a strong US dollar are the culprits. Anuj Gupta of Ya Wealth Global Research predicts the rupee may test the 90 mark soon – a big worry for markets. 6. IPO Excitement: Two companies are making their stock market grand entrance – Sudeep Pharma lists on November 28, and Excelsoft Technologies debuts on November 26. Also, watch three SME IPOs opening for subscription this week: SSMD Agrotech India, Mother Nutri Foods, and KK Silk Mills. With these thrilling factors cooking, Indian investors should buckle up for a rollercoaster ride this week. Market watchers, keep those charts and news alerts handy – it’s going to be an action-packed time with the global stage, rupee swings, and exciting corporate moves all playing their parts!