Among the Sensex components, Mahindra & Mahindra, Bharti Airtel, Tech Mahindra, Titan, Infosys, JSW Steel, Bajaj Finserv, HDFC Bank, Larsen & Toubro and Kotak Mahindra Bank were the major gainers. Maruti, State Bank of India, Power Grid, Tata Motors and IndusInd Bank were the laggards.
BSE market breadth was negative. Out of 2,884 stocks traded, 1,392 shares declined while 1,363 shares advanced.
The Reserve Bank on Friday raised the inflation projection for current fiscal year to 4.8 per cent from 4.5 per cent with Governor Shaktikanta Das saying lingering food price pressures are likely to keep headline inflation elevated in the December quarter. Consumer price index (CPI)-based inflation increased sharply in September and October 2024 led by an unanticipated increase in food prices.
Trading in the equity market will largely depend on two major events this week - general elections result and the RBI interest rate decision - analysts said, adding that the benchmark indices may rally on Monday on exit polls' prediction of a massive win for the BJP-led NDA and strong GDP data. Exit polls on Saturday predicted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will retain power for a third straight term, with the NDA expected to win a big majority in the polls. Counting of votes will take place on June 4.
Global financial markets are wrong in hoping that the worst is over in geopolitical crises such as the Iran-Israel conflict and the Russia-Ukraine war, wrote Christopher Wood, global head of equity strategy at Jefferies, in a recent note to investors called 'GREED & fear'. While most investors and the media are focused on United States (US) Federal Reserve policy and the "endless chatter" of Fed governors, Wood believes the news flow in the financial sphere "pales into complete insignificance" compared with the "tectonic shifts" going on in geopolitics.
The country's forex reserves increased by $305 million to $654.27 billion during the week ended March 14, the RBI said on Friday. In the previous reporting week, the overall reserves rose by $15.27 billion to $653.97 billion and registered the sharpest weekly rise in two years.
Among Sensex shares, Bajaj Finance, Mahindra & Mahindra, Sun Pharma, Nestle, NTPC, Power Grid, NTPC, UltraTech Cement and Larsen & Toubro were the biggest laggards. The prominent gainers were ITC, Tata Motors, Asian Paints and Titan.
Geopolitical events, macroeconomic data and quarterly earnings of corporates would guide the stock market in a holiday-shortened week ahead, analysts said. Stock markets will remain closed on Wednesday for Ram Navami. "This week promises to be crucial for the market as fresh worries about a potential conflict between Iran and Israel emerge.
The rupee declined 22 paise to 87.41 against the US dollar in early trade on Thursday after the latest tariff announcements from the US weighed on emerging currencies, including the rupee. Forex traders said the latest tariff announcements from the US have sent shockwaves through global markets, strengthening the dollar.
The overall breadth was negative as 1,539 stocks declined while 1,232 stocks advanced.
The latest macro-data from India is disquieting
The Nifty-Sensex have recorded successive 52-week lows through the last week.
Low volatility, in general, means low risk, which highlights another anomaly -- when any asset gets into uncharted territory, risk, almost by definition, should be high.
Market downturns or regulatory shifts can reduce liquidity, making it harder to buy or sell assets when needed.
The Nifty ended down 35 points at 4,757. The BSE market breadth turned negative towards the end of the day. Out of 2,888 shares traded, 1,490 declined while 1,309 advanced.
Benchmark share indices ended lower on Thursday, amid a volatile trading session, on profit taking in software shares on concerns that the appreciating rupee would hurt margins going forward. Index heavyweight Reliance Industries also witnessed profit taking after public interest litigation was filed in the Supreme Court on Wednesday stating that the consent mechanism by market regulator Sebi favoured the company.
Zomato emerged as the biggest gainer, followed by Reliance, Nestle, Asian Paints and Power Grid.
Ask rediffGURU and PF expert Nitin Narkhede your mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
In the sharpest jump in over two years, the country's foreign exchange reserves increased by $15.27 billion to $653.97 billion during the week ended March 7, the RBI has said. The overall reserves had dropped by $1.78 billion to $638.7 billion in the previous week.
Amid the tumbling stock market in the United States, following the White House clarification of tariffs on China to be at least 145 per cent and an earlier announcement of a 90-day pause on tariffs for over 75 countries, President Donald Trump addressed the challenges associated with his tariff policy, stating that there would be 'transition problems'.
The Nifty ended at 4,958, down 27 points. The market breadth, though, was positive. Out of 2,852 stocks traded, there were 1,635 advancing stocks and 1,134 declined.
From the Sensex pack, Zomato, IndusInd Bank, NTPC, Infosys, HCL Technologies, Titan, Power Grid, Hindustan Unilever, Tech Mahindra and ITC were among the gainers. On the other hand, Reliance Industries, Nestle India, Tata Motors, Adani Ports, Tata Steel, UltraTech Cement and Kotak Mahindra Bank were the laggards.
Tourists hesitant to visit America due to frequent policy changes there.
Mid-cap and small-cap mutual fund schemes have continued to attract strong investor interest, garnering nearly Rs 30,350 crore in inflows during the April-September period of the current financial year, driven by impressive returns delivered by these segments. In comparison, the cumulative inflow into mid-cap and small-cap funds stood at Rs 32,924 crore during the same period last year, according to data from the Association of Mutual Funds in India (Amfi).
Arbitrage funds, the new favourite of individual investors, delivered their best performance in nearly a decade in 2024. On average, the schemes delivered 8 per cent return last year, the highest since 2016, according to data from Value Research. The returns were supported by positive equity market sentiments, surge in open interest in stock futures, high interest rate, among other factors, analysts said.
'Investors' decisions should reflect their financial goals, risk tolerance, and the amount of gold already present in their portfolio.'
'Sell in May, go away' is a popular market adage. But 'Don't sell any new shares in May' is the best kept secret of Dalal Street that's set to break. Sample this: the last four General Election election cycles starting 2004 have not seen a single initial public offering (IPO) launch during the month of May.
India's forex reserve jumped by $4.76 billion to $640.48 billion in the week ended February 21, the Reserve Bank said on Friday. In the previous reporting week, the overall reserves had dropped by $2.54 billion to $635.72 billion.
The key risk factors would be anti-incumbency, small vote share swings causing large impact on outcomes and the 2004 example.
Financials and telecom shares lead the upmove.
Adopting overly aggressive strategies without considering risk could lead to significant losses during the next downturn.
'The long-term impact of elections is minimal.'
Reserve Bank Governor Sanjay Malhotra on Friday said the exchange rate policy has remained consistent over the years and the central bank does not target any 'specific level or band' of the rupee, which slipped to an all-time low of 87.59 to a US dollar. On Thursday, the rupee plunged 16 paise to close at a record low of 87.59 against the American currency. "I would like to mention here that the Reserve Bank's exchange rate policy has remained consistent over the years.
Reliance Industries Ltd on Friday reported a 2.4 per cent rise in its March quarter net profit as store rationalisation in retail business and improved margins in telecom helped offset weakness in mainstay oil and petrochemicals business and higher finance cost. Consolidated net profit of Rs 19,407 crore, or Rs 14.34 per share, in January-March - the fourth quarter of April 2024 to March 2025 fiscal (FY25) - was higher than Rs 18,951 crore, or Rs 14 a share, in the same period a year back, the company said in a statement.
Upmove in IT heavyweights, ITC and HDFC counters aided the gains in today's trade.
'It won't be a V-shaped recovery. It'll be consolidation.' 'Investors might exit during that grind. It'll be painful.'
Capital markets are becoming more prominent in India's growth story, with an expanding share in capital formation and investment landscape on the back of technology, innovation and digitisation, according to the Economic Survey 2023-24 tabled in Parliament on Monday. Further, Indian markets are resilient to global geo-political and economic shocks, it added. "Despite heightened geo-political risks, rising interest rates and volatile commodity prices, Indian capital markets have been one of the best performing among emerging markets in FY24," the Economic Survey said.
Adani Ports, NTPC, Infosys, Hindustan Unilever, HCL Technologies and Sun Pharma were among the other big gainers. However, Larsen & Toubro, Bajaj Finance, State Bank of India, Axis Bank and HDFC Bank were amonh the major laggards.
