Indian equities opened sharply lower on the first trading day of the week, pressured by downbeat international cues and escalating trade tensions. The benchmark Sensex nosedived 498 points, reflecting broader market unease as nearly all Nifty indices flashed red.
Early sessions witnessed intense selling pressure on marquee names including Reliance Industries (RIL), ICICI Bank, Wipro, Tata Motors PV, and Cipla, which collectively weighed on sentiment and propelled indices southward.
At the reporting hour, Sensex was at 83,072, down 0.60 percent or 498 points. Nifty mirrored the slide, dropping 134 points or 0.52 percent to 25,560. Broader markets weren’t spared, with midcaps off 0.40 percent and smallcaps down 0.48 percent.
Pharma led sectoral losers at 0.6 percent, trailed by IT at 0.5 percent and Auto at 0.4 percent. Metals bucked the trend with a modest 0.24 percent gain.
Standouts in the red included RIL (-2%+), Wipro (-7%+), Tata Motors PV (-2.8%), Max Health (-2.9%), Infosys (-1%+), and Cipla (-0.9%). Despite RIL’s robust Q3 earnings for FY25-26, market reaction remained unforgiving.
Top performers countered with gains in Tech M, Indigo, Bajaj Finance, Trent, HUL, Kotak Bank, Axis Bank, BEL, and HDFC Life.
The backdrop is a wary global landscape, fueled by Trump’s tariff threats on eight European countries retaliating against his Greenland ambitions. This geopolitical friction has investors on edge.
Analysts recap last week’s Nifty rollercoaster: highs of 25,899, lows of 25,473, closing at 25,694. Below short-term EMAs but above the long-term 200-day, the medium outlook stays bullish. Watch 25,875 resistance, then 26,000-26,100; supports at 25,600-25,450.
In this volatile climate, advice is clear: adopt cautious, stock-picking approaches prioritizing solid fundamentals. Await a sustained Nifty break above 26,000 for bullish bets.