Indian equities declined on Friday, with the benchmark Nifty posting its worst weekly fall since September, as foreign investor sentiment remained weak amid tepid earnings growth and little progress on the India-US trade front.
'... with the rest split between mid and smallcaps, as valuations are becoming more attractive across segments.'
'Portfolios built in these phases often deliver the strongest outcomes over time.'
'Portfolios built in these phases often deliver the strongest outcomes over time.'
Foreign investors pulled out Rs 21,000 crore (around $2.3 billion) from Indian equities over the last four trading sessions amid deteriorating global risk sentiment triggered by the West Asia crisis.
Indian companies are increasingly turning to share buybacks as a preferred payout strategy, driven by recent tax framework changes that make them more tax-efficient for non-promoter shareholders and a fall in stock prices.
Inflows into equity mutual fund (MF) schemes declined in May, logging their lowest tally in 13 months at Rs 19,013 crore. It came even as the gross systematic investment plan (SIP) inflows surged to a record high of Rs 26,688 crore.
Indian stock market indices Sensex and Nifty experienced a significant decline, driven by rising crude oil prices, sustained foreign fund outflows, and selling pressure in major bank stocks.
The BSE Sensex plummeted 1,236 points, wiping out nearly Rs 7 lakh crore in investor wealth, driven by escalating tensions between the US and Iran and subsequent market selloff.
Bharat Forge reported modest Q4FY26 results but provided strong guidance, anticipating significant growth from its defence, aerospace, and data centre segments, with a projected 25 per cent revenue growth in Indian manufacturing for FY27, despite current high valuations.
For every 100 rupees, households invested Rs 45.2 in mutual funds and equities in 2024-2025.
Stock market is gearing up for an eventful week ahead where key triggers such as quarterly earnings from corporates, the US Fed interest rate decision and the upcoming Union Budget for 2026-27 would grab the limelight, analysts said.
Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty ended lower on Thursday, snapping a three-day rally, amid a weak trend in global stock markets.
Analysts are increasingly optimistic about India's capital markets, with HDFC AMC, CAMS, and KFin Technologies identified as top investment picks. This optimism stems from a structural shift in household savings towards financial instruments and an expected multi-year earnings expansion for market infrastructure providers and asset management companies.
10 stocks from the Nifty 200 index that offer good growth potential and scope to deliver decent returns from current levels, based on brokerage estimates.
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Indian equities on Dalal Street saw volatility as global market trends and fresh tariff concerns linked to Donald Trump impacted investor sentiment. Track Sensex, Nifty50 movement and key market drivers for Feb 24, 2026.
Indian benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty closed lower in a volatile session due to profit-taking in banking and financial shares, despite earlier gains driven by easing geopolitical tensions. Analysts suggest investors remain cautious and are not aggressively chasing the recent rally.
Since this is a long-term investment, investors must do their homework and choose a fund manager carefully.
Balanced advantage funds (BAFs), which adjust between stocks and bonds depending on market conditions, have increased their equity holdings over the past year, with most schemes now predominantly invested in equities.
Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd reported a significant 48.5 per cent jump in consolidated profit after tax to Rs 5,259.91 crore in the March quarter, primarily attributed to strong performance in its auto and farm sectors, alongside ambitious plans for new SUV and EV launches.
Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty experienced a significant decline, falling over 1 per cent due to foreign fund outflows and global uncertainties.
Foreign portfolio investors withdrew over Rs 22,530 crore ($2.5 billion) from Indian equities so far this month amid rising US bond yields and a stronger dollar, continuing their selling streak from last year. This came following an outflow of Rs 1.66 lakh crore ($18.9 billion) recorded in 2025, triggered by volatile currency movements, global trade tensions and concerns over potential US tariffs and stretched market valuations.
WPI inflation data, trading activity of foreign investors and global cues would dictate trends in the stock market this week, analysts said.
Infosys' board has approved annual performance-based stock grants worth Rs 51.75 crore for Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Salil Parekh, aligning with his tenure ending in March 2027.
New investors or those with lower-than-planned exposure should add US-oriented funds through SIPs.
The rupee plunged to a fresh low of 93.72 against the dollar on Friday, falling 1.15 per cent in a single session - its sharpest one-day decline since February 24, 2022 - as elevated crude oil prices and strong dollar demand from oil-marketing companies and foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) weighed on the currency.
Companies in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector are losing favour with equity investors, with their price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio declining to its lowest level in six years, now trading at 38.8 times trailing earnings.
Wipro reported Q4FY26 IT services revenue of $2.6 billion, a modest 0.2 per cent Q-o-Q constant currency growth, with adjusted operating profit margin beating estimates at 17.2 per cent. The company announced a significant share buyback of ~15,000 crore, but faces near-term growth challenges, particularly in the BFSI segment, and has issued a soft Q1FY27 revenue guidance.
Eight of India's top-10 most valued firms saw their combined market valuation increase by Rs 1,87,497.45 crore last week, with Bharti Airtel emerging as the largest gainer, reflecting a positive trend in the equities market.
Retail investors' equity portfolios have significantly underperformed benchmark indices over the past 16 to 18 months.
'The volatility in the stock markets since September 2024 has hurt the pace of accretion of new investors.'
Equity markets will keenly track outcome of the US Federal Reserve policy meeting this week amid heightened expectations of an interest rate cut along with WPI inflation data, analysts said. Any further development on the USndia trade front would also drive trends in the equity market, experts said.
Godrej Properties Limited (GPL) reported its highest-ever quarterly profit of 649.5 crore in Q4 FY26, a 70.13 per cent year-on-year increase, driven by record revenues and bookings. The company aims for over 39,000 crore in residential bookings for FY27 and plans to raise up to 3,000 crore through debt securities.
'As re-industrialisation gathers pace across regions like Asia, Europe and the US, a wide range of products and inputs will see demand.'
Bharat Electronics, Reliance Industries, Mahindra & Mahindra, Larsen & Toubro, InterGlobe Aviation, ICICI Bank and UltraTech Cement were among the other major gainers. Axis Bank, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Trent and Titan were the laggards.
'The markets have corrected almost 8-9 per cent from their highs, so one can accumulate quality stocks at reasonable prices.'
The Indian rupee weakened against the US dollar due to rising crude oil prices, geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, and foreign fund outflows.
'The problem is not just slower growth, but also the quality of growth.'
The domestic equity markets are expected to extend gains following the strong showing of the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state elections - a crucial precursor to the general elections in May. The BJP decisively secured victories in three of the four key states - Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh. While the battles in these three states were closely contested, the scale of the BJP's triumph has surprised many, heightening expectations for regime continuity in 2024 - a positive catalyst for the markets.
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