For representative purposes.
| Photo Credit: iStockphoto

The story so far: For the sixth consecutive day, BSE Sensex closed lower on Wednesday reflective of a major sell-off among foreign institutional investors and portfolio investors (FIIs/FPIs), mixed earnings and apprehensions about the tightening of the (imports’) tariff regime in the U.S. The thirty-share BSE shed 122.52 points to close 0.16% lower at 76,171.08 points whilst Nifty50 shed 26.44 points to close 0.12% lower at 23,045.25 at close on Wednesday. Furthermore, the larger scheme of things has also triggered a rise in demand for treasury bonds as investors look for a haven.

Why is Trump affecting markets?

On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump issued directives to restore tariff on steel and elevate the tariff on aluminium to 25%. The White House held these were to protect America’s industries which “have been harmed by unfair trade practices and global excess capacity”.

However, the directive was not well received in the Indian markets. This is primarily due to apprehensions about a potential dumping of Asian exports to India, potentially culminating into downward revision of prices and increased competition. Indian steel manufacturers are already amidst a revision in steel prices. For perspective, Indian manufacturer JSW Steel stated in its Q3 earnings about its Net Smelting Return (NSR) in India falling by close to ₹1,800 compared to the preceding quarter. Additionally, with respect to the alleged dumping, India’s Directorate General for Trade Remedies (DGTR) has an ongoing investigation into the imports of ‘non-alloy and alloy steel flat products’.

Why is foreign money moving away?

FIIs and FPIs have been increasingly moving towards U.S. bonds, seeking a haven away from the current modest Indian markets with potentially lesser returns. According to Devarsh Vakil, Head of Prime Research at HDFC Securities, the current situation in the market emanates from tepid domestic earnings growth, elevated valuations in mid and small cap segments, and persistent inflation exceeding the RBI’s lower threshold of 4%, and uncertainty around trade and tariffs. It is imperative to note here that bond yield and stock markets have an inverse relationship. This is because both vie for investor funds, aspiring to outdo the other by offering more returns. Therefore, when U.S. bond yield rises, foreign investors transit from Indian equities to U.S. bonds. Domestic, economic and political certainty alongside monetary policies are other contributing factors. All in all, the entire paradigm contributes to making the dollar stronger and the rupee weaker because of the flow of money.

V.K. Vijaykumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Financial observed that while the downturn in markets has been because of a combination of factors, the major among them has been the “relentless FII selling”. He told The Hindu about FIIs having sold in the cash market every day, except for two days, so far this year — totalling to ₹93,907 crore. He further noted that while domestic institutional investors have been compensating for the FII outflows, “market sentiments have been impacted.” In addition to this, Apurva Sheth, Head of Market Perspectives & Research at SAMCO Securities pointed out that dollar denominated returns of Indian equities “have not been impressive at all”.

Mid and small caps stocks are also experiencing a correction due to the sell-off spree. All contributing to a downward revision in valuation. According to Siddarth Bhamre, Head of Research at Asit C Mehta Investment Interrmediates, the correction here could be attributed to “liquidity finding its way out”. He explained, “Last year most of the money pumped by participants in equity MFs went into small and midcap funds. The correction now is leading to shift in investors strategy to move from small and mid-caps to large cap stocks and hence this severe underperformance.” Additionally, according to Geojit’s Chief Investment Strategist, mid and small cap valuations had (prior) reach “unsustainable levels”.

What is outlook for the near-term?

Tightening of trade policies with the probability of a trade war under Trump, geopolitical tensions and slowing global growth could influence markets going forward. According to Mr. Vijaykumar, “FIIs will return to India, only the timing is uncertain.” He further adds, “Indications of a growth and earnings recovery in India and dollar decline — we do not know when it will happen, will make FIIs buyers in India.” Additionally, Mr. Vakil holds that deep uncertainty about President Trump’s tariffs plans may keep investors on the “defensive”. As for the outflow, he contends SIP flows are likely to remain strong and should be able to absorb bulk of the selling.

According to exchange data, FIIs offloaded equities worth ₹2,758.49 crore on Friday (January 24, 2025). File photo
| Photo Credit: PTI

Equity benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty, declined in early trade on Monday (January 27, 2025), dragged down by losses in Telecom and Industrials stocks amid muted global market trends.

Also, the continuous foreign fund outflows added to the markets’ decline.

The 30-share BSE benchmark Sensex declined 343 points or 0.45% to 75,847.46 in early trade. The NSE Nifty dropped 108.95 points or 0.47% to 22,983.25.

From the 30-share Sensex pack, Zomato, HCL Technologies, PowerGrid, Tata Motors, Adani Ports, Reliance Industries, IndusInd Bank, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services and HDFC Bank were the major laggards.

In Contrast, ICICI Bank, Hindustan Unilever, Larsen & Toubro, Nestle India, State Bank of India, ITC and Asian Paints were the gainers.

“This 6-day week is likely to be highly volatile with other major events like the Fed decision and the Budget in India. The market is looking forward to fiscal stimulus through income tax cuts in the Budget. If the expectations are met, there can be a relief rally in the market. But if a rally is to sustain, we need data indicating growth and earnings revival,” V.K. Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Financial Services, said.

In Asian markets, Shanghai and Hong Kong were trading in the green, while Seoul was quoting flat, and Tokyo was trading in the red territory.

U.S. markets ended lower on Friday (January 24, 2025).

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth ₹2,758.49 crore on Friday (January 24, 2025), according to exchange data.

Global oil benchmark Brent crude slipped 0.61% to $78.02 a barrel.

On Friday (January 24, 2025), the 30-share BSE benchmark dropped 329.92 points to settle at 76,190.46. The Nifty declined 113.15 points to close at 23,092.20.

Mumbai:

Benchmark equity indices Sensex and Nifty began the trade on an optimistic note on Monday but soon turned negative.

The 30-share BSE benchmark Sensex climbed 296.94 points to 79,520.05 in early trade, while the NSE Nifty went up by 85.2 points to 24,089.95.

However, both the benchmark indices turned negative later and were trading lower. The Sensex was down by more than 1,100 points around 12 pm and stood at 77,984, and the Nifty traded nearly 400 points down or 1,4 per cent at 23,611.

From the 30-share blue-chip pack, Bajaj Finance, Titan, Infosys, HCL Tech, Tata Consultancy Services and Tech Mahindra were the biggest gainers.

Kotak Mahindra Bank, Tata Steel, Power Grid and Asian Paints were among the laggards.

The BSE benchmark tumbled 720.60 points or 0.90 per cent to close at 79,223.11 on Friday, while the Nifty tanked 183.90 points or 0.76 per cent to 24,004.75.

From the 30 blue-chip stocks, Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Motors, Infosys, Nestle and HCL Tech were among the gainers. Representational image
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Equity benchmark indices began the day on an optimistic note on Tuesday but soon turned volatile amid unabated foreign fund outflows and mixed trends from Asian markets.

The 30-share BSE benchmark Sensex climbed 192.03 points to 78,732.20 in early trade. The NSE Nifty went up 44.65 points to 23,798.10.

However, soon the benchmark indices pared most of the early gains and were quoting between highs and lows. The BSE benchmark gauge quoted 27.66 points lower at 78,538.95, while the Nifty traded 7 points up at 23,760.45.

From the 30 blue-chip stocks, Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Motors, Infosys, Nestle and HCL Tech were among the gainers.

Zomato, Tata Steel, Bharti Airtel, Bajaj Finance, HDFC Bank and Adani Ports were among the laggards.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth Rs 168.71 crore on Monday, according to exchange data.

In Asian markets, Shanghai and Hong Kong traded higher while Seoul and Tokyo were quoting in the negative territory.

Wall Street ended in the positive zone on Monday.

Global oil benchmark Brent crude climbed 0.25 per cent to USD 72.81 a barrel.

The BSE benchmark jumped 498.58 points or 0.64 per cent to settle at 78,540.17 on Monday. The Nifty surged 165.95 points or 0.70 per cent to 23,753.45.

New Delhi:

Indian shares hit record highs just after the open on Friday, tracking gains in regional peers after U.S. economic data eased growth concerns, while investors await domestic quarterly growth data.

The NSE Nifty 50 index rose to 25,257 in early trade, while the S&P BSE Sensex climbed to 82,637, with both benchmarks hitting all-time highs.

The Nifty has risen for the previous 11 consecutive sessions, marking its longest winning streak in about 17 years, supported by expectations of a U.S. rate cut in September and healthy domestic inflows.

Domestic institutional investors (DII) have purchased shares worth $6.14 billion, on a net basis, so far in August, about twice the net foreign portfolio investors (FPI) outflows.

Asian markets rose, with the MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan up 0.7%. Most Wall Street equities rose overnight, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average at a record closing high, on robust U.S. economic data. [MKTS/GLOB]

Market participants now await U.S. core personal consumption expenditures data, the Fed’s preferred gauge of inflation, on Friday to confirm bets of the September rate cut. [.N]

Investors also await India’s April-June growth data, due after market hours. A Reuters poll showed growth likely slowed to 6.9% year-on-year in the quarter due to reduced government spending because of national elections.

Eleven of the 13 major sectors logged gains. The broader, more domestically focussed small- and mid-caps rose about 0.5% each.

Among individual stocks, SpiceJet fell about 4% after India’s aviation watchdog placed the budget airline under enhanced surveillance after a recent audit revealed “certain deficiencies”.

Sugar stocks like Balrampur Chini Mills, Shree Renuka, Bajaj Hindusthan and Dwarikesh Sugar rose between 3% and 10% after the government said sugar mills could use cane juice or syrup to produce ethanol from November.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

People walk past the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) building in Mumbai. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Equity market benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty rebounded in early trade on July 26 after staying on the back foot for the past five straight sessions, helped by value buying at lower levels and rally in blue-chips Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services and Reliance Industries.

The 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 235.23 points to 80,275.03 in early trade. The NSE Nifty went up 86.6 points to 24,492.70.

From the Sensex pack, Bharti Airtel, Tata Steel, Infosys, JSW Steel, Bajaj Finance, HCL Technologies, Tata Consultancy Services and Reliance Industries were the biggest gainers. Tech Mahindra, HDFC Bank, Nestle and Maruti were among the laggards.

The unique feature of the bull market in India is its ability to climb all walls of worry. The market dismissed all concerns relating to elections, the Budget and the correction in the mother market U.S. The buy on dips strategy which has played out well in this rally continues to hold good, said V.K. Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Financial Services.

After a sharp fall in intra-day trade on July 25, the BSE benchmark managed to recover some of the lost ground to settle 109.08 points or 0.14% lower at 80,039.80. The NSE Nifty dipped 7.40 points or 0.03% to 24,406.10. In five days, the BSE benchmark Sensex tumbled 1,303.66 points or 1.60%, while the Nifty declined 394.75 points or 1.59%.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth ₹2,605.49 crore on Thursday, according to exchange data.

In Asian markets, Seoul, Tokyo, and Hong Kong were trading higher while Shanghai quoted lower. The U.S. markets ended mostly lower on July 25. Global oil benchmark Brent crude climbed 0.19% to $82.53 a barrel.

“The US economy’s 2.8% growth in Q2 confirms it won’t slip into recession, and we expect the Federal Reserve to start cutting interest rates by September due to easing inflation,” Prashanth Tapse, Senior VP (Research), Mehta Equities Ltd, said.

The rupee settled on a flat note at 83.13 (provisional) against the U.S. dollar on Friday amid negative equity markets and rising crude oil prices.
| Photo Credit: RAGHUNATHAN SR

The rupee settled on a flat note at 83.13 (provisional) against the U.S. dollar on Friday amid negative equity markets and rising crude oil prices.

Selling pressure from foreign equity investors weighed on the domestic unit which has been under pressure due to a stronger American currency for the past few weeks, forex traders said.

At the interbank foreign exchange market, the local unit opened weak at 83.17 and traded between the peak of 83.03 and the lowest level of 83.20 against the greenback.

The local unit finally settled flat at 83.13 (provisional). On Thursday, the rupee had risen 15 paise to close at 83.13 against the U.S. dollar.

Experts attributed the sharp gain in the rupee to RBI’s move as well as some softening in the greenback.

“It is worth highlighting that RBI’s intervention, particularly at 83.25, played a significant role in supporting the rupee. Additionally, the rupee benefited from a period of weakness in the dollar index,” said Jateen Trivedi, VP Research Analyst at LKP Securities.

Anuj Choudhary, Research Analyst at Sharekhan by BNP Paribas, said the dollar declined after U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Thursday cautioned of a possibility of additional rate hikes, if warranted, on resilient economy and a tight labour market.

However, Mr. Powell’s remark that a surge in bond yields helped tighten the financial conditions led to expectations that the central bank may not hike rates for now.

“We expect rupee to trade with a slight negative bias as escalating tensions between Hamas and Israel may continue to deteriorate global risk sentiments. U.S. Dollar may bounce back as safe-haven demand may come into play and crude oil prices may rise further on concerns over supplies,” Mr. Chaudhary said.

Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback’s strength against a basket of six currencies, fell 0.05% to 106.20.

Global oil benchmark Brent crude futures climbed 1.27 per cent to $93.55 per barrel.

On the domestic equity market front, Sensex fell 231.62 points or 0.35% to settle at 65,397.62 points. The Nifty declined 82.05 points or 0.42% to 19,542.65 points.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) were net sellers in the capital markets on Thursday as they sold shares worth ₹1,093.47 crore, according to exchange data.

At the interbank foreign exchange, the domestic unit opened weak at 83.17 against the dollar and then touched the lowest level of 83.20 against the greenback. File

The rupee depreciated by 5 paise to 83.18 against the US dollar in early trade on Friday due to unabated foreign fund outflow amid rising crude oil prices.

Negative equity market sentiment and a strong dollar also weighed on the Indian currency, forex traders said.

At the interbank foreign exchange, the domestic unit opened weak at 83.17 against the dollar and then touched the lowest level of 83.20 against the greenback. It later traded at 83.18 against dollar, registering a loss of 5 paise over its previous close.

On Thursday, the rupee settled 15 paise higher at 83.13 against the US dollar.

Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback’s strength against a basket of six currencies, rose 0.03 per cent to 106.28.

Analysts attributed the decline in rupee to a record rise in US Treasury yield even as US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Thursday hinted at a longer period of monetary tightening due to higher-than-expected inflation numbers.

“Trading boundaries are now set at 83.07 on the downside and 83.26 on the upside, with 83.20, appearing as a potential turnaround point for the day,” Anand James, Chief Market Strategist at Geojit Financial Services, said in his USD-INR outlook.

Global oil benchmark Brent crude futures rose 0.94 per cent to USD 93.25 per barrel.

In the domestic equity market, the 30-share BSE Sensex was trading 161.15 points or 0.25 per cent lower at 65,468.09. The broader NSE Nifty declined 52.15 points or 0.27 per cent to 19,572.55.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) were net sellers in the capital markets on Thursday as they sold shares worth Rs 1,093.47 crore, according to exchange data.

The rupee snapped a four-day losing streak to close 21 paise higher at 83.02 against the U.S. Dollar on Friday, aided by the currency’s flow into domestic equities and likely supported by intervention from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)

The Indian currency had hit its lifetime low of 83.23 against the U.S. Dollar on Thursday.
“We suspect it was heavy intervention from the central bank and some corporate inflows that pushed the pair lower,” said Anindya Banerjee, VP – Currency Derivatives & Interest Rate Derivatives at Kotak Securities Ltd.

“Over the past one week, we think the RBI has been very active in defending the rupee and preventing it from going past the 83.30 mark [intraday].”

“Over the next one week, U.S. CPI and the trend in the Chinese currency will set the tone. We expect a broad range of 82.70 and 83.30 on spot,” he added.

India Forex and Asset Management Private Limited (IFA Global), in a note, said, “The rupee weakness continued this morning and opened at 83.14 amid higher crude and global dollar strength. However, positive sentiments in domestic equities and likely RBI intervention at higher levels helped the INR strengthen in the second half of the session.”

At the interbank foreign exchange, the domestic unit opened at 82.58, then touched the lowest level of 82.62. File
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The rupee appreciated by 2 paise to 82.61 against the US dollar in early trade on Tuesday amid a weak American currency against major rivals overseas and positive domestic equity markets.

Retreating crude oil prices also supported the Indian currency even as outflow of foreign funds capped a sharp gain, forex traders said.

At the interbank foreign exchange, the domestic unit opened at 82.58, then touched the lowest level of 82.62. It later traded at 82.61 against the greenback, registering a gain of 2 paise over its previous close.

On Monday, the rupee settled 1 paisa higher at 82.63 against the US dollar.

The Indian currency was trading in the narrow range as market participants are awaiting the US jobs data to be released on Friday. Also, a close watch on the Chinese currency’s response to the country’s slowing factory output and other macroeconomic indicators weighed on the rupee, forex analyst said.

Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback’s strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.20 per cent lower at 103.85.

Brent crude futures, the global oil benchmark, fell 0.05% to USD 84.38 per barrel.

In the domestic equity market, the 30-share BSE Sensex was trading 182.08 points or 0.28 per cent higher at 65,178.68. The broader NSE Nifty advanced 53.65 points or 0.28 per cent to 19,359.70.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) were net sellers in capital markets on Monday as they offloaded shares worth ₹1,393.25 crore, according to exchange data.