Mumbai, April 17 -- Indian equities head into the next trading week with global macro signals turning slightly cautious even as domestic fundamentals remain stable.

In the US, consumer price inflation rose to 3.3% year-on-year in March, which is a significant jump from 2.4% recorded in February 2026. This dampened hopes of near-term Federal Reserve rate cuts, leading to a firming dollar and tighter global financial conditions.

Domestically, India's CPI inflation edged up to 3.4% in March from 3.21% in February, driven by food prices, though it remains within the RBI's tolerance band.

In China, exports grew by 2.5% year-on-year in March, missing the widely reported expectation of an 8.6% growth, as uncertainties rose from the Iran war a...