Indian equity markets were poised for a cautious reopening on Friday, January 16, 2026, after remaining closed on January 15 due to municipal corporation elections in Maharashtra. Market sentiment was influenced by persistent foreign fund outflows, geopolitical concerns, and mixed global cues, though stock-specific movements were expected to dominate due to the ongoing earnings season. The GIFT Nifty indicated a positive start for the domestic benchmark indices. Several prominent Indian companies were slated to announce their December quarter (Q3 FY26) results, making them key 'stocks to watch'. This list includes Reliance Industries (RIL), Wipro, Tech Mahindra, Polycab India, L&T Finance, Tata Technologies, and Sobha. Analysts anticipated sustained growth for RIL, driven by its telecom and retail segments. Tech Mahindra was projected to report a significant sequential increase in net profit. Sobha also had a board meeting scheduled to consider its Q3 financial results. Infosys was a major highlight, with its shares climbing nearly 5% in early trade following the announcement of its Q3 FY26 results. The company raised its FY26 constant-currency revenue growth guidance to 3-3.5%, a move that impressed the market despite a slight year-on-year decline in consolidated net profit. Additionally, oil-linked stocks, including upstream companies like ONGC, Oil India, and Reliance Industries, along with refining and marketing companies such as IOCL, BPCL, and HPCL, were expected to be in focus after global crude oil prices fell approximately 4% on January 15 due to easing geopolitical tensions in Iran. This decline ended a five-day rally, shifting the near-term outlook for these energy-related sectors.